


Not In This Reality

by Nepisaka (koalasreadings)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, If You Squint - Freeform, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27952325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalasreadings/pseuds/Nepisaka
Summary: Bringing the sword of Gryffindor in the Dean Forest, Severus Snape makes a little mistake that changes his life in a blink of an eye.(Alternate developments of canon from this moment.)
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 22
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Не в этой реальности](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27879790) by [Nepisaka (koalasreadings)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalasreadings/pseuds/Nepisaka). 



> This fic is mine, I wrote it in other language. Now I am translating it, but English is not my mother tongue. There could be mistakes, especially in verb tenses, wrong order of words and articles and so on. I really need a beta to check all my wrongdoings, but I am at a loss how to find one. If you are reading it and want to help, please let me know!

Severus had a plan. Fifteen minutes prior to that moment, he had said so to Dumbledore - or, if to be precise, his portrait, which had been mentoring him in this hard hard year, the year he, Severus Snape, became the Headmaster of Hogwarts. 

He walked in the dark forest in the search of a small lake, the fallen leaves crunching under his feet, covered with a thin layer of snow, the sword of Gryffindor being hidden behind his road cloak. He was going to deliver this sword to a particular someone. This evening, December twenty seventh, they finally learned where was the camp of their former students, Potter, Granger and Weasley, who went into the hiding from the new ministry regime established in Magical Britain by the Dark Lord, and who were accomplishing the mission that was assigned to them by the Headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore himself in times when he was still alive. 

The tricky part of Severus' errand was to stay incognito, since he was a henchman of the Dark Lord in the eyes of all wizarding population and also was in a great need to save these beliefs intact. That meant he couldn’t just give them the sword, meeting them face to face. Of course, he could try to leave it in a visible place, but then it would most probably just disappear before some wanting hand reached it, because the Sword let only courageous men touch it and demanded the brave deeds from its temporal owners to get it and be faithfully served. If an outsider tried to touch it - the only exception being made to the ones who were given the sword directly by the previous owner - the sword would have vanished in the air and reappeared in its proper place - in the secret vault placed in the Headmaster's office. That's why Severus had his plan. 

He found a suitable pool quickly. It was deep enough for someone to be compelled to dive to reach the bottom and therefore to make a brave deed. Melting the thin ice on its surface, Severus was angrily pondering that he wasn't allowed to know what the dangerous work Potter was doing right now was, but he had been readily informed about how it would end for the boy. As if it was not enough, he was also expected sometime to deliver this unhappy truth to the boy himself, and there was no escaping from this truth: Harry Potter would have to die, to take his death from the hand of the Dark Lord. Clenching his teeth, Severus let go of the sword and, hitting the water with the soft splash, it sank. 

Severus froze the ice hole again, walked away from the pool and hid behind the tump of smooth wide trunks, cleared off his own footprints on snow with a spell and conjured his Patronus. A doe, made out of the silver light, flew from the tip of his wand. He told her to bring Harry Potter to the pool and started to wait. 

He knew that the clearing where Potter and his friends had stopped for the night was not far away: after he apparated to the forest he sent the doe to find them and started his search for a pool near the place that she indicated. It was impossible to trace them another way, because, each time, making their camp, they circled it with various protection charms, one of them being the charm of un-detection. Only the Patronus Charm, the Patronus in its distinct form, the spell that was so undoubtedly light that it could not bring harm by definition, could help in such situation, and only in the case if the sought-for person was comparatively not far away, otherwise you wouldn't be able to track the silver beast that had momentarily switched places. 

Potter came quickly enough. Staying behind the trees, Severus watched how his bright guide vanished in the air and the boy pulled out his wand, making its tip shine with Lumos, and started to survey the pool and the trees around it. Severus was far enough, so the feeble light wouldn't have probably reached him and the boy wouldn't have noticed him, but the precaution could never be an excess, so he swayed a little to the side making the tree shadow swallow him whole. 

And then something happened, something that had not happened to him in many years. He made a mistake. His foot slipped on a root, wet from the snow, he lost his balance and, trying to catch it, stepped on a twig that loudly cracked. Startled "Ahh" that came from Potter's side let him know that despite all his experience in an un-trackable espial today he managed to make a double mistake - he forgot to put silencing charms around himself as well. Severus froze in the place and only had time to think how much he didn't expect such slovenliness from himself, not in the least, when the "Who's there?" asked in a quivering voice and then the bold "Answer at once!" made him give up to the inevitable: the boy would certainly search for the source of the sound, and now Severus had no other choice but to disappear. Even if Potter would hear the crack of Apparition, it would be the lesser evil in comparison with him finding out who exactly brought the Sword of Gryffindor. When Severus was already spinning on his hill, he heard how Potter yelled out something else, but the noise of Disapparition in his ears muffled those words. 

He returned to Hogwarts with the sinking heart and didn't know what to make of himself. He was simply walking around his office and every now and then asking the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, one of the many former Headmasters (whose other portrait had turned up to be in miss Granger's handbag, which made it possible for him to travel from this place to that and, if the bag was open, listen to what the runaway trio was saying), whether he had news from the forest or not. There was no news and Severus was cursing at himself something awful. To almost slip on a tree root - and not even secure himself with a silencing charm! How it was possible, it was beyond his comprehension! And he dared to call himself a spy, oh dear Merlin! And Potter deserved no praise either! Who was the one who yelled through the whole forest "Who's there?" What if it was not Severus there but the real enemies? Stupid idiot! Moron! Imbecile! And it was absolutely unclear whether the frightened boy would be able to find the hidden sword or not - it was hidden on the bottom of the pool after all, under the ice to boot. Would he even start to search for it? Knowing the slow-wittedness of Potter, Severus thought that he probably wouldn't. Damn it! Bloody damn it! 

Being unable to stay in the dark for a minute longer, Severus decided to return to the forest and find out everything himself. This time he would be so precautious that no one would see or hear him. 

When he was already going to open the door that led out the office, he heard the breathless and agitated voice, "Headmaster, Headmaster! She opened her handbag! She said 'Here, take that.' This mud... I mean, Granger girl." 

Severus ran back, to the portrait. "What else did she say? Did you hear other voices?" His heart was madly bouncing. 

"No, Headmaster. She only took something out of the bag and closed it again." 

"Keep watching!" Severus directed, then, after a thought, added, "Thank you, Headmaster Black." 

The wizard on the portrait bowed and escaped the canvass. 

Severus started his anxious pacing again. Who was the one Granger addressed? Potter? Weasley? What item did she take out of the bag? Could it be a warm blanket? What if Potter actually did manage to find his present in the pool? And should he be guessing right now? He certainly had to go back and find everything out! 

Severus almost reached the Apparition restriction board around the castle's territory - he didn’t walk, he ran! - when his left forearm burned like it was singed on fire. His Master, the great Lord Voldemort, to whose name no one treasuring his or her life might not have given mouth for almost half a year now, called his faithful servants to appear before him. He couldn't catch Severus on the more wrong foot if he wanted to! In a hurry, with a foreboding of evil, understanding that his visit to the forest was cancelled, Severus headed to the residence of the Dark Lord, which was placed in the Manor of the Malfoy family, whose head, Lucius, had been considered at fault and tried, tooth-and-nail, to find a favor of the Lord once again.

***

Severus got the uneasy feeling the moment he entered the house: the joyful laughing of Bellatrix, that came down the hallway, could only be a bad omen. With a sinking heart, he walked forward and stepped into the spacious drawing room. What he saw teared down all his hopes and dreams, abruptly. He stood there thunderstruck, his heart dropped down, a loud ringing in his ears, trying hard not to let it be shown on his face. In the middle of the room, right before the figure of the Dark Lord, hunching up, head lowered, bounded with a rope, kneeled Harry Potter. 

It knocked Severus all of a heap. The only thought in his brain was, how it was possible? 

There was a crowd of people around. Someone poked Severus with an elbow, and he looked that way, automatically. It was Macnair. 

"Hey, Snape, why are you so down in the mouth?" he asked. "Did you want to catch the brat yourself?" Severus stared at him, hardly seeing, and the man laughed. "Relax a bit, many'd have wanted to do so. Dolohov did, lucky bastard..." he wheezed. 

'I should have told the boy... I should have passed the message... that his fate would be a voluntary death,' the thought was beating in Severus' temples. But he had no time to pass anything to anybody - not even the damned sword, since Potter was so quickly caught - and now the boy would be forced to die, not knowing anything and not willfully at all. Severus was on the verge of despair. Evidently, Potter had not finished his work, hadn't even received the sword... Maybe his friends knew what to do? A sudden thought flashed in Severus' mind, and the hope that not everything was lost sprang in his breast. But immediately he felt ashamed of himself: right now, before his own eyes, Potter was going to be deprived of his life. 

Realizing, in his desperation, that the boy no longer could have been saved, Severus only wanted to know how it had happened, when and where Dolohov caught Potter. He looked around. Plenty of people gathered in the room. Quietly exchanged words merged together in a low rumbling around the silent scene in the middle. There was only one sound carried from the center of the room: the mad laughing of Bellatrix, now low and barely audible tittering, now loud, unbearable screeching. On the inner part of a circle made by Death Eaters, Dolohov stood, straight and proud. On weak legs Severus started to make his way to him. 

"How did you find him?" he asked quietly, without any greetings, his voice calm, despite the fact that his world had just crashed down. 

The tall man before him looked proud of himself. "The Taboo," he answered and haughtily twisted his mouth on the already twisted face. He watched the movements of Bellatrix. The woman circled her worshipped Master, who stood in a reverie in the midst of people paying attention to no one, even to his shrunken prey on the floor. "The fool was screaming our Masters' name in the woods, can you imagine?" Dolohov abruptly tore his gaze off of Bella and turned to Severus properly, grinning and pulling his brows up. "He's crazy! I wouldn't even believe it, if I haven't witnessed it! He spoke to empty air, weirdo! I checked myself, there wasn't anyone there." Shaking his head with a wry smile, then clicking his tongue, he turned again to the scene before him. 

At first, Severus didn't get the full meaning of his words. Firstly, he thought, what a total dimwit one should be to be caught like that: to say the name of the Dark Lord aloud - why, even to whisper it! - meant to summon his servants immediately. Was Potter really not aware of it yet? Unskillful dunce! 

But the next thought pierced him like an arrow. Staying so close to the center, seeing roped Potter at close range, he realized with the mind-shattering clarity: the boy was caught because of him. It was _his_ clumsiness and absent-mindedness that made him 'speak to empty air', using the words of Dolohov. _He_ , Severus, would be accountable for the fact that Potter had not finished his work, for his untimely death, for the failed operation in the forest and probably - oh, Merlin! - for the lost war. Even the hope for the possibility that Potter's friends would be able to finish his job was knocked down by the cold weight of his overwhelming guilt. 

Severus became unable to look at the boy, who he so foolishly exposed to the danger, and whose destiny he settled. He lowered his gaze. He noticed some small objects before Potter's tied up knees. Severus decided they were items confiscated from the captured boy: a broken mirror, a fragment of pendant chain, some furry little sack, some ball-shaped goldish object. He looked closely and realized that the last item was a snitch, lying lifelessly between other junk; he didn’t even have it in him to be surprised by the absurdity of the fact that Potter had a Quidditch ball with him. 

There was one more thing there. A wand laid on the carpet, broken in half, the only thing linking two ends together being a somewhat fluffy string of core. Severus could vividly imagine the scene of the boy being captured: how Dolohov and his goons fell out of thin air around Potter, how they knocked his wand out of his hands and how, while it was still flying, they broke it accidently with one of their spells, that was directed at its owner, who haven't expected this whole attack at all. 

Severus had a mishmash of feelings. He was angry with Potter and his stupidity (why on Earth did the boy feel the need to ask a stranger in the forest about the Lord, why, why!) and he was angry with himself - and those two things made an infernal mixture just by themselves. But there was also guilt, eating him up, and powerlessness to change anything, burning his nerves throughout, driving him to utter despair, which made his mind unable to operate logically, only striving to switch to pure animal instincts. 

Severus gritted his teeth, manned up and looked at Potter again. 

The boy's hands were tied behind his back, the chest and shoulders were bound, too, as well as his shins - from ankles to knees. The head with dishevelled hair was lowered down, his face was hidden, his glasses were broken and moved to the forehead. The collar of his shirt was torn. Severus remembered that in the forest, the boy was wearing more clothes. Did it mean that he was robbed before he was conveyed here? Though, it didn't really matter. Nothing more important than just a warm sweater wasn't found on him, because the Dark Lord himself might have interrogated Dolohov and his goons, and they wouldn't be able to hide something significant from him. Not many wizards could hide anything from the Dark Lord. Well, Severus could, he trained himself on the task, and it always have been a matter of rigorous self-discipline, but... Today, his self-discipline failed him. 

Severus desperately looked at Potter, looked while the boy was still alive, knowing, soon, he will be not.

Suddenly, he heard a melodic ringing above his ear. It was a timer charm signal, he figured out. When they brought Potter here, they most probably noted down one hour to exclude the possibility that it was not a real Potter but someone who used the Polyjuice potion to pretend to be him. When Severus realized this, he learned that before this moment he still had a little bit of hope, he only wasn't aware of it, but now this hope was shattered to pieces. 

His spirit was daunted once and for all. 

All conversations in the room died away. The eyes of all Death Eaters turned to their master. 

The Dark Lord wasn't immersed in reverie anymore. Now, he tenaciously observed those who gathered around. Made sure everyone was there, he smiled coldly. "My friends," he started quietly with a high voice deprived of warmth, "this day had arrived. I knew it would happen someday." He grinned broadly and indicated with his hand the boy under his feet, "My enemy is before me." His gaze was piercing Potter. "Helpless. Defeated," he added with some strange mixture of contempt and pleasure in his voice, looking Potter up and down. 

The boy raised his eyes to him, desperate hatred splashed in them. His whole body was tense, he straightened himself, though it was evident that the ropes hurt him. 

But the Dark Lord didn't pay him attention anymore, he was surveying Death Eaters again. "I called you here, my faithful servants, so you could make certain that I always gain a victory over my enemies. Before this moment Harry Potter was cheating in our duels by using the wand with the feather of the same Phoenix as in mine. But now, this wand is broken." With a nonchalant gesture he made the remains of Potter's wand fly up from the carpet, so everyone could see them, then let it drop down. "There are no trump cards in his pockets anymore," the Lord disdainfully smirked. "And I won't give him a chance to run away," he added with a metal in his voice looking at Potter without a trace of his previous smile. "Didn't expect it, Potter? You'll die today." 

The Lord's voice was even on his last words, and this calmness could freeze the soul. Severus stared at Potter. Bound hand and foot, the boy kneeled silently before the Lord trying to stretch up as high as he could and looked at his enemy. 

It suddenly dawned upon Severus that he didn't even know _why_ he was dying, didn’t know that by doing so he would open the gates for Voldemort's own death. The boy probably thought that he lost, that he let down his friends and everyone who fought on his side, that the only thing that was left for him was to die looking his enemy in the face. This thought was almost unbearable. The guilt surged up with a new strength in him. He had to do something! He clenched his wand, blood banged in his temples. 

But what could he do? Throw himself before Potter and cover him from the murdering curse, how Lily did? No, that wouldn't happen. Severus would not die in vain, it couldn't mend matters. He had to live! Severus made his decision. He would quietly look at how Voldemort killed Potter, the boy, who he had sworn to protect in the memory of Lily, who was killed by Voldemort, too. He would not give away how horrified he was, not with a gesture, not with a word. He would serve the Dark Lord, would prove his irreplaceability, would lull his watchfulness, and sooner or later... Yes, sooner or later he would find a way to get rid of the monster. Severus would live. 

He had his eyes glued to Potter. The boy looked at his enemy and torturer, his breath fastened. Severus' heart hollowed in his chest, rang in his ears. 

The Dark Lord raised his wand, aimed it at Potter's forehead and said softly, "Avada Kedavra." 

Potter collapsed face first on the carpet. 

It costed Severus all he knew to take his eyes off Potter, to look at his master and force a weak smile. 

"The show is over, ladies and gentlemen. You may go," said the Lord coldly, with a wave of his hand dismissing his servants. Voices rustled and Death Eaters started to leave the enormous room. "Lucius, stay," he ordered the man of the house, and Malfoy obediently stopped. "Watch after the body, it may be useful to us, will serve as a reminder to those who still try..." he pulled a face, "to resist." 

Severus took his chance. 

He stepped forward and bent his torso in a bow. "My Lord," he said, "I think, it would be a good idea to embalm the body. There are some compositions that not only do not let the corpse decay but also help it retain a certain amount of flexibility." He had to be useful, he had to be useful, he repeated to himself. 

The Dark Lord turned his head to him. "Your mind is as broad as always, Severus. I entrust you with this job. Lucius, make available the room for it and provide Severus all required assistance. Report is expected by the morning." 

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius and Severus simultaneously bowed. Then their eyes met and Severus nodded to his obliged allay. 

Lucius only narrowed his eyes. He walked haughtily to the heavy doors and looked back. "After a while, bring him to the third floor, the Eastern wing, the room in the end of the corridor," he said to Snape. "My Lord," he bowed to the Master and exited the room. 

By this moment, Voldemort already sat in the chair with an air of abstraction around him. Severus didn't want to disturb him, he had the body to examine. He silently approached the killed boy, sat by his side and spelled ropes to vanish. The effect was that the body, with a dull thud, fell flat on the carpet in an unnatural position and something crackled in it. That attracted Lord's attention. He stared at Severus. 

"I beg your pardon," mumbled Severus. "I think, I'd better immobilize the body before I levitate it. Not to cause any damage." 

For a second, Voldemort looked at him, then at the body, then he nodded and looked away, saying no word. He was absorbed in thought again. 

Severus picked up the hint. He was expected to leave, too. Leave and do his thing in a different place, where he wouldn't interrupt his master's thought process. 

He bent down and turned the body face up to levitate it in a proper position. He reached out his hand to remove the broken glasses from the head for the matter of safety and suddenly jerked, letting out a sob of surprise. He momentarily put an immobilizing charm on Potter, with a slam-bang effort made his heart stop trembling, hid behind mental shields and looked at his master. "Cut the finger with the glasses," he informed the displeased Lord whose thoughts were interrupted the second time. In evidence, Severus demonstrated his bloody thumb, licked it and immediately healed it with the spell. 

The Lord made a face and stared at him maliciously and impatiently, this time not looking away from Severus' preparations. 

Severus hastily levitated the body horizontally in the air and started to move with it to the exit of the room. 

"Is he dead for sure?" suddenly, the quiet voice sounded behind his back. 

Severus' insides churned. Giving no sign of his fear he turned and said, "Yes, my Lord. Couldn't be more dead. No more miracles." 

Letting the body fly before him, he exited with a bow and, closing the door behind him, left the Lord indulge in speculation alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus reached the designated room and very cautiously levitated Potter's immobilized body through the doorway. There was a long table placed in the middle of a small room, cabinets, shelves and other furniture were pushed to the walls. Lucius stood at the window, leaning on his cane and observing the dark horizon, or maybe, looking at a room reflection in the glass, which was possible too - the room was brightly illuminated by lamps. Severus lowered the body on the table.

Lucius abruptly turned to him. "Gaining favor with the Dark Lord, aren't you Snape?" he hissed.

"Would you act differently if you were in my place?" Severus asked peacefully, not taking the bait.

Lucius only sniffed in reply and started to walk to the exit, limping. In the doorway he stopped and, not looking at Severus, coldly said, "If you need a house elf, call Dimmy."

"No one should interrupt me..." managed Severus before the door slammed shut.

He was left in this small room, cut off from the rest of the world, in private with the body and with awareness of an incredible fact, that he hardly was able to comprehend and in which - no matter that he’d been a witness of it himself and that he'd immediately tried to do his best to hide it from the Lord - he barely believed. 

The fact was, he wasn't alone in this room. Two hearts were beating right this moment amidst these walls. The one was pounding - in Severus' chest. The other had a barely perceptible beat.

In the chest of Harry Potter.

In spite of all common sense existing on Earth, by some inconceivable mean, Potter had managed to survive again. Back in the drawing room, Severus had felt his weakest pulse when he turned his body up - the boy was just unconscious. So, no. There _were_ still miracles, whatever Severus said to the Lord. The Boy Who Lived avoided the death from the killing curse of his enemy, again.

First thing, Severus called the Malfoy's house elf and ordered him to wait when he was called again and not appear in the room before it. He even troubled to explain to the elf that such magic would interfere with the process of preparation for embalming. By this, he got rid of a potential and absolutely unwanted witness. Then, he started to use wizardry. He placed all silencing, barrier and alarming charms that he knew on the room and the Mirror protection on the window, and only after this, he could breathe more freely and let his emotions gain a free reign.

With a fluttering heart and shaking hands, he bounded to the table and the body on it. He took off the immobilizing charm and watched closely what would happen. Potter was still unconscious. Severus checked his pulse, and the great wave of relief, this time unrestricted, rolled over his body, all but making him unconscious too. When his brain regained its proper function, he bent down, pressed a finger to the boy's lips (just in case), pointed his wand to his chest and whispered, "Rennervate!"

Potter jumped a little, opened his eyes and stared at Severus in amazement and fright. 

"Shh!" breathed Severus very quietly and took off his finger from Potter's mouth. Despite all the silencing charms, he was afraid to speak aloud. "Potter, you're alive! How... How did you do it?.." He helped the boy to seat, supporting him under the shoulders. He felt his frantic heartbeat and observed how the restored in its fullness blood circulation started to bring back colors to his skin that looked lifeless a moment ago.

Potter goggled at him, he obviously didn't comprehend what happened.

"You see, Potter..." Severus started. "Harry," he corrected himself softly. "I am not your enemy, in the contrary to all that you know about me. I know, you hate me. Until now, this hate served my purpose, it was needed for my cover. But the fact is, I was always on your side. On the Order's side."

"You!.." croaked Potter.

"I am Dumbledor's man, Harry."

"But you killed him!" Potter recoiled, yelling, or rather trying to yell, because his voice didn't obey his commands yet, and his words sounded just like a loud hiss.

"Be calm!" Severus grunted. "No one may know that you're alive. It applies to your own interests, Potter." He threateningly towered over the boy's head.

Potter's chest was rising hurriedly, the weak-sighted eyes stared at Severus in a quiet horror.

Not wanting to intimidate him more, Severus pulled away and started to pace around.

"Yes, I've killed Albus - hush!" he turned sharply on the sound that escaped Potter's lips. The boy sat still, and Severus proceeded, "I killed him on his own order, or more exactly, at his request that I couldn't turn down. He was already dying, Harry." He looked at the boy.

Potter narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, but said nothing.

Severus resumed his pacing. "He was dying from the curse, which had destroyed his hand the previous summer. He wouldn't have lasted long. He asked me to help him leave with dignity. He wanted his death to serve our cause. The Dark Lord ordered Drako Malfoy to kill the Headmaster, and had the boy failed his mission, he'd have paid with his own life. Albus wanted to guard him against his doom and, also, against the possibility of tainting his soul with the murder. He wanted his days to be ended by me, the man who was aware about the slowly killing him curse, the man who, by doing so, could, in appearance, prove his loyalty to the Dark Lord! The Lord had already planned to take the Ministry and Hogwarts, and he would have put a Death Eater as a Headmaster, no matter what. So, it'd have been so much better if it was me! It'd have been so much better if the Lord still believed me, believed me even more than before!" Severus paced, spoke quietly, but with passion, and watched Potter's reaction all the time.

The boy was squinting at him. "Why do you think I will swallow it?" he asked hoarsely and had a fit of coughing after it.

"Because I am helping you," Severus answered gently. "The Dark Lord used the killing curse on you, and you survived again, Harry! But, except me, no one knows about it. I tried very hard to convince everyone in this house that you are dead. I hope I succeeded."

Potter's eyes suddenly swept open and went out of focus. "I lived," he whispered in astonishment, as if it came home to him only now. He looked at Severus again and croaked, "Was it Avada?" When Severus nodded, he became very excited, "Did I survive Avada again?!"

He tried to jump down from the table, but Severus didn't let him, putting his hands on his shoulders. "Be quiet! Yes, Potter, you lived, and I want really badly to know how you managed to- Do sit still!" Severus pressed his hands down keeping the stirring boy in place. "Or do you want me to bound you with ropes again?" he offered venomously.

Potter glared, but stopped his struggling. Severus let go.

Assessing the situation - the boy was sitting on a hard cold surface, nursing his knees - he added cushioning and warming charms. Potter looked at him in surprise, but sat more comfortable, crossing his legs. Having made sure that he calmed, Severus went on with his explanations.

"We are still in Malfoy Manor," he informed the boy. "The Apparition isn't working here. Walking out without someone noticing it is impossible too. You have to pretend to be your own corpse that I am preparing to embalm." 

The boy paled.

Severus noticed it and prodded, "You still don't believe me, right?"

Potter lifted his eyes to him. "Could you believe yourself?"

Insolent brat! Despite himself, Severus chuckled ironically.

"Harry, this is no time to play these games," he said quietly. "We need to do everything we can - I need, in the first place, of course - to get you out of here." He tried to catch the boys eyes. "Both of us will only gain if we'll be able to trust each other."

Potter didn't react.

"Well, tell me, what must I do for you to believe me?! - Severus spat, losing his temper. The boy recoiled, watching him in alarm, and Severus regretted his lack of restraint. "So, maybe you'd want to see it yourself, in my mind?" he proposed more calmly. "You were good at it once, I remember." Reluctantly, Severus was willing to go that far. In the end, he always could push the most private memories deeper down and protect them with a shield of Occlumency.

"Yes, indeed!" Potter threw spitefully, his voice harsh and uneven as if it belonged to a hysteric smoker. "You're never lying in your own head, don't you!"

It was Severus' turn to recoil in shock from his vis-a-vis. He was preparing himself to experience humiliation, to open up his thoughts and feelings to the brat, and this impudent...

But, a moment later, he acknowledged that Potter's accusation wasn't totally unfounded, and that meant he needed to find some other form of contact.

"Then, ask," he said. "I will answer any questions."

"Under Veritaserum?" the intolerable boy inquired, still following his own way.

Severus sighed and closed his eyes. "If you insist," he said wearily and then lifted his eyes to Potter again.

It had the exact effect he expected: the boy was discomforted.

"I... I'm not..." Potter babbled. But the next moment, his voice got stronger. "You're lying to me again!" he exclaimed.

A short laugh escaped Severus' lips against his will: the boy saw right through him. "Yes, Potter, you're right. It would be too dangerous to carry it in my pocket. I have no Veritaserum. The Lord could turn it against me anytime. My offering is still in effect, though. Ask your questions and make your own opinion about everything. Just remember, we do not have plenty of time."

Potter was looking at him, frowning. Then he probably realized that he actually hadn't a choice there, because he finally asked his first question. 

"Who had cursed Dumbledore?"

"I don't know," Severus replied. "He got the curse through the ring that he'd put on his finger so carelessly."

Potter shot him a glance and immediately started to mull over his next question. "Why didn't you help him to remove the curse?" he asked a moment later, raising his eyes to Severus, and this time they threatened to bore him right through.

"It was impossible," Severus sighed. " The curse was too powerful, and Dumbledore... had been in no hurry to ask for my help. But yet, I managed to make the flesh die off slower."

Potter's face expressed distrust, and pity, and disgust, all at once. "How long was it left for him?"

"No more than a year."

Potter asked more and more questions, and Severus had to tell him everything about that night when nearly unconscious Dumbledore had called him to his office. He told him how he'd sealed away the curse in the headmaster's charred hand, how Dumbledore had been persuading him to be the one to end him, how he'd insisted that Severus should have played his role of a Dark Lord's faithful follower convincingly. In the end, Potter stopped to ask, Severus narrated and the boy just listened. Severus told him where he went after his flight from Hogwarts, how he returned to the castle; how Dumbledore's portrait was guiding him and made a plan of Harry's escape from Dursley's house with the other seven Potters. He told him about the new Ministry innovations, about the searching charms and charms of disturbance that was now applied to the chosen name of the Dark Lord.

After he had stopped, he waited for Potter's reaction. In the silence that set in, the boy looked at him directly and asked the only one question that apparently pestered him the most. "How about your attempt to kill George in my appearance? The day when..."

"I do remember," Severus interrupted him, annoyed. "I didn't try to kill him, I was aiming at Rookwood, but I missed the aim." The boy looked puzzled, so he added, "He was going to kill Lupin." 

He regretted it immediately. 

Potter jumped up. "As if you cared!" he exclaimed, glaring at Severus.

Severus met his gaze calmly. "Yes, I did," he said quietly.

"I don't believe you!" Potter barked, but he was the one who averted his gaze a couple of moments later.

"There is one more thing," Severus spoke subtly. "I know that Albus gave you and your friends some task." The boy squinted at him sideways. "He didn't tell me what it was," Severus assured him. "But he also assigned a task to me - besides spying on the Lord and helping you and your friends if possible." Potter's eyebrow rose up, and Severus marveled when the boy adopted this gesture from him. "But we'll talk about it later," he said, returning to the matter. "The headmaster entrusted me with a message that I was supposed to pass to you at a certain time. It should have happened when you were almost done with your own job."

Potter tensed and lent slightly forward, looking at Severus with wide eyes.

"That's not what actually happened," Severus said ruefully, "so, I humbly ask you to listen to me now."

And Severus told Potter about the message. He told him about the fragment of the Dark Lord's soul that Dumbledore said was living in him. He told that it should have been destroyed by the means of Potter's voluntary sacrifice, and that this sacrifice was supposed to make the Lord mortal again.

An expression of mournful sadness was fixed on Potter's face.

"He wanted me to..." the boy didn't finish. 

For a while, he sat in silence, staring ahead, then spoke again, "So, Dumbledore said, it was supposed to happen when we finished?" his voice was quivering. "But we didn't even start!.." he moaned. He pressed the balls of his hands to his eyes and sat in silence, with an air of suffering, for some time again.

When he finally took his palms off his face, his eyes were wide open. "But it means, I was the..." he started, perplexed, and, once again, didn’t finish. He sat dumbfounded and gradually fell in reverie as before.

Severus was very curious, what he was thinking about and what a conclusion he made, but he reasoned himself against pressuring the boy into answering.

After a while Potter looked at him. "What do _you_ think about it? Do you _know_ why I lived?" His tone was a bit defiant, but Severus decided to ignore it, it was no time to bring him to his level.

"I... have an idea,” he answered indeterminately.

"And what about Dumbledore?" the boy said with sudden hope. "Did he know that it'd happen like this? That I would live?"

"Even if he knew, he didn't tell me," Severus muttered, realizing with anger, that he wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to make Severus believe that he was sending Potter to his death - just in case, just to prevent him to blurt out something unnecessary to the boy. After having a thought, though, he added, "On the other hand - you said it yourself - you haven't accomplished your task. Albus wanted this..." he waved his hand vaguely around, "to happen when you finished. Maybe he just didn't expect the miracle to happen the second time."

Potter seemed pondering that. Severus felt silent too. He didn't want to think that Dumbledore was cruel to him. He also suspected that he actually wasn’t: even if the Headmaster had considered the possibility of Potter's survival, he most probably wasn't sure it would happen, and didn't want to give Severus a false hope.

His thoughts were interrupted by Potter.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore's portrait," the boy claimed.

"We need to get out of here first!" Severus cut short, mercilessly.

The boy visibly lost heart. "Do you think Vol-" he started in a sad voice.

"Potter, are you deaf?!" Severus didn't let him finish, seething in fury. "The Lord's name is tabooed! It has signal charms on it! Do you want to let him know that you are alive? Only the Order members would use this name, and right now there is only one in this house - you!"

The flabbergasted gaze that Potter acquired told Severus that the boy had not heard him the first time he was telling him about this. What else had he expected from the dunderhead!

"You're as attentive as always," Severus said maliciously. "I've told you about it not so long ago!"

Potter looked upset and fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt distractedly. It seemed he started to perceive how he actually ended up in this house.

Severus calmed down a bit. "In future, never say the Lord's name, even in a whisper. Is it quite clear?"

Potter nodded. Severus waited for him to finish what he wanted to say before, but the boy kept silent.

After a while Severus started to speak himself. “So, about your task... I mentioned before that I was supposed to assist you if possible. Tonight, we finally learned where you and your friends could be found." The boy raised his head in surprise, and Severus clarified, "Headmaster Black helped us. Then, Albus told me to bring you... something you needed."

Severus stopped. He suddenly realized that after he told Potter about the sword he would be obliged to tell him also about the negligence he committed in the forest. He started to pace nervously.

Potter leaned forward impatiently. "To bring what?"

Severus turned sharply. He wanted to say something stinging, because the inevitability of his confession oppressed him and made him feel a special aversion towards Potter... And then he suddenly noticed the red marks on the boy's wrist below the cuff. It gained his full attention.

"What is it here?" he asked, reaching for Potters arm.

"Nothing!" the boy recoiled, pulling his hand closer to himself. After a second, he opened up his palm to show that it is empty.

"You misunderstood me," Severus grimaced. "I'm speaking about your injuries."

Potter rolled up the sleeve. The skin on his wrist was chafed, some places even scratched away, the lilac blotches stood out on his forearm. Severus recollected that the boy had been tied with ropes for an entire hour, he should have guessed that they would leave marks!

"Take off your shirt and trousers," he ordered.

"What?!" Potter's eyes opened widely. "Why?"

"I will apply treatment, you idiot!" Severus took a first-aid potion kit out of his cloak's pocket. Lately, he always kept it with him. "Your bruises and abrasions won't go away by themselves."

"I'll do it myself..."

"Sure, sure, you'll do. No one is going to touch you, dear Merlin!" Severus exclaimed. "Undress."

Potter was blinking confusingly.

"Do I need to turn away?" Severus offered, gloating.

The boy glared at him, but started to unfasten the shirt. 

Pointedly, Severus looked down at his nails. "Jeans too," he said, not looking up, when the shirt flew on the table.

One minute later, Potter in undergarments sat awkwardly on the edge of the table and Severus was holding his hand in his own palm, turning his arm back and forth, and applied balm on the injuries. He didn't look up to Potter's face, trying to focus on his task. Out of the corner of his eye though, he saw that the boy was looking away, too. When Severus was done with both arms, he reached out his hand to the boy's shin, but Potter stopped him, capturing his hand gently. Taken by surprise, Severus looked up and saw that Potter was blushing. The boy didn't raise his eyes above their interlocked hands.

"Please, let me do it myself," he asked in a quiet voice.

Severus felt uneasiness, all of a sudden becoming aware of this touch and of their closeness, but he played it cool. Without words, he offered Potter the flask with balm and walked away from the table.

"I was going to tell you about the task Dumbledore gave me today," he reminded the boy, keeping his voice even, watching at his own reflection in the window. There, in the glass, he saw how Potter raised his head. "Are you incapable of doing two things at the same time?" he asked the boy's reflection, irritated by his stare.

Two seconds later, Potter realized what Severus had meant and returned to his bruises.

"Tonight, I should have brought you the Sword of Gryffindor." Potter's face popped up again. Severus was giving his reflection a piercing look until he put it down. "I should have put the sword in such a place from where you could take it yourself and wouldn't have known who brought it. I placed it in the lake, the one the doe brought you to."

Severus saw how Potter froze in place.

"So, it was you..." the boy said quietly.

Severus heard disappointment in his voice and got angry. "I haven't entrapped you, Potter," he snarled. "You summoned the Lord's hunters yourself, you said his name! What have you screamed there, I'm curious? Dolohov laughed his head off."

The fury Potter stirred up in him, mixed with guilt, made Severus especially cruel to the boy. He felt sick of himself, but those words were already spoken out.

Potter sat motionlessly. He was quiet for a long time, his head was lowered. "You are not Vol... his man," he pronounced without expression. "I've said, 'I know, you are not his man,'" he repeated in the same dull voice.

"How foolish," Severus said with feigned indifference, dealing his final blow. He was clenching inside from his own cruelty. Why couldn't he just stop himself? 

But the boy's words were definitely nonsensical, Potter seemed to understand it too: his face and ears were on fire.

They both were silent for a long time.

At last Potter recommenced his medical procedures, and Severus finally decided to confess.

"I am partly to blame for your capture", he said faintly. In the reflection, he saw how Potter glanced at him, but apparently didn't dare to stop what he was doing this time. "I was hiding behind the trees. You tried to lighten them up with your wand, remember?" Potter didn't answer, but it didn't matter. "It was me who cracked the fallen twig and attracted your attention. I should have put silencing charms around me, but I haven't."

Severus wanted to add something else, in the sense of 'Your carelessness is contagious, Potter', or 'Why did you jerk up like a frightened ram, as if there's no great deal of rustling animals in the forest', but he stopped himself. It was necessary to admit his own mistakes - it was a lesson his life taught him a hard way.

Potter said nothing.

The silence that fell after was interrupted by the tapping noise of the flask being put down on the table top: Potter finished his job.

"Whose Patronus was the doe?" he asked without raising his head.

Severus was surprised by such slow-wittedness. "Mine, whose else?"

"Show me." Potter's voice sounded strange. He finally looked up at Severus, his eyes flashing in the light of lamps.

Was the boy aware that his mother's Patronus had been a doe, too? Even if it was so, Severus couldn't turn back now. He took out his wand and pronounced quietly, "Expecto Patronum!"

The doe flew out of its tip, rounded the room and dissolved in the air. Potter followed it with his eyes and after that, stared ahead thoughtfully.

"Why is it a doe?" he whispered.

Severus couldn't decide what was better to do, lye or back-water. "I'll answer this question if you answer mine," he offered gingerly. In the end, he could make it with a half-truth, but he was going to sell it as dear as he could.

"All right," Potter agreed. He lent back on his arms and tilted his head to one side, looking right at Severus in the window reflection, waiting.

Severus turned sharply. "What did you need the Gryffindor sword for?" He made his queen's move: if Albus refused to tell him the truth, he would learn the answer from Potter.

The boy opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but after a while closed it again. He was pondering something, moved his eyes here and there, looked at the ceiling, screwed his eyes shut, and finally shook his head. "Sorry, I can't tell you about it."

Severus raged up inside - so that's it! - but kept a calm appearance and said coldly, "Then, your question won't be answered too."

He read disappointment in Potter's eyes. The boy lowered his head. The silence that fell upon them wasn't interrupted for a long time this time. They both were absorbed in thoughts.

Severus was thinking that it was worth a try to ask Dumbledore this question again. The old intrigant would _have to_ spill everything out now! But there was a problem here: for this, they needed to get to the portrait, somehow. Sure, Severus could leave the manor and return to Hogwarts at any time, but he couldn't leave Potter here alone even for a second, and, sadly, it was impossible to transfigure a living person into something he could carry away in his pocket. Which meant that they were stuck here and that he would have to stall for time, alleging laboriousness of the process of embalming, brewing more and more potions, would need to deny access to the body to anyone under the pretext of keeping it sterile, and at the same time try to find an opportunity to leave the house with the body, secretly, or with a credible excuse, though Severus knew that this task would be the most difficult: the Lord seemed to be indifferent to the fact of the boy's supposed death, but not at any price would he let the body of his main enemy leave the range of his visibility.

When Severus regained his senses and looked up at a clock on the wall, the hourhand was approaching two.

"Potter," he called the boy, who was starting to nod off in an uncomfortable position. "Can you pretend to be a dead body convincingly?" These words woke the boy up in no time. He started and sat straight. "I can help you with the immobilizing charms. There are also some potions that are useful for our case. We need to maintain the legend that you are dead, to act convincingly, and then..."

"Is it really impossible to apparate from here?" Potter interrupted him suddenly.

"Useless to even try," Severus answered rigorously.

"Even with the house elf?" There was hope in the boy's voice.

Severus raised his brow in wonder. "Do you suggest using the Malfoy's elf to run away from..."

Potter didn't let him finish again. "No! With one of Hogwarts' elves, of course!" He lent his head a bit to the side and looked at Severus, waiting for his reaction.

Severus didn't quite get on to what the boy meant, so he stared at him, waiting, back.

"Well, you're a headmaster," Potter alleged. "Couldn't you call one of them here?"

"Now I see." Severus was disappointed. "No. It's impossible to call the elves of Hogwarts outside the castle. They only respond within its grounds."

"Really?" Potter amazed. "Then maybe we can send the Malfoy's elf to bring here a Hogwarts one?" He was unrelenting. "I remember, when I was in my second year, the Malfoy's elf was perfectly able to get to the school's territory, despite all magical barriers. We could Apparate to your office and talk to Dumbledore's portrait!"

There was a hope in Potter's eyes, so big that Severus unwittingly started to ponder over what he had said.

It actually could work. But what was the use for them of the Hogwarts elves here? They served the castle, and teachers and students, when they were in it. Severus didn't remember a case of the house elves of Hogwarts bringing guests to the castle. They possessed a different kind of magic that was able to get round the barriers made by wizards, but since they served the castle, they also had to obey to its rules, and those rules strictly forbade the wizard's Apparition from outside, and within its borders too. Only elves could move like this there. As well, Severus didn't remember the case of the Hogwarts elves taking and executing someone's order - be the person that gave it a headmaster or not - outside the castle. What if they weren't supposed to obey anybody beyond the school walls? And if it was like that, would a castle's elf be able to move them just anywhere from here, let alone Hogwarts?

Severus revealed his doubts to Potter, and the hope in the boy's eyes weakened down. 

But after a couple of moments, he raised his gaze again, his eyes shining brighter than before. "Dobby," he said. "We need to call Dobby!"

"And... who is this Dobby?" Severus asked cautiously.

"He's the former house elf of the Malfoys, I freed him at the end of my second year at school," Potter told enthusiastically. "He has served Hogwarts since then, Dumbledore actually paid him money!"

Severus looked at Potter confusedly. He remembered the story about Lucius losing his servant, but he had no clue what happened to the elf afterwards.

"I'm afraid to disappoint you, Mr. Potter, but it seems that I am not acquainted with this elf. Are you sure he serves Hogwarts? Because I have my doubts: I, as a headmaster of Hogwarts, do not pay money to any house elves."

"But..." Potter babbled, looking confused. "Didn't Dumbledore tell you..." He raised his eyes.

"No," Severus cut short.

Potter indeed looked disappointed, but right away, his face assumed the expression of an active utilization of his brain. "What about other elves - they all know each other there," he reasoned aloud. "Even if Dobby left the castle, they would probably know where he went. What if we ask one of them to search for him?"

"What would be a benefit of us having him?" Severus asked impatiently.

"You didn't understand a single word I said, Professor!" the insolent boy exclaimed. "Dobby is a free elf! He has no contract with Hogwarts! He would be able to Apparate us there without any problems, I'm sure!"

Potter clammed up and Severus started to ponder over what he had said.

Well, if a house elf wasn't bound by any magical contract with a wizard, it meant he could disregard any restrictions that those contracts inflicted upon other elves. He could apparate where he wanted with just any purposes, not limited by serving and helping residents, for example.

In pure theory, a free elf could have been dangerous for any wizard, for the magical techniques of elves differed greatly from what was usual for people. That's why - at least it was what Severus' mother told him in his childhood - long long ago, in the year dot, wizards of Britain bound the whole population of elves that lived there with those contracts (and made them serve them by doing so): to secure wizards, on the one hand, and on the other, to guarantee for peace-loving nation who didn't want to make a war, that it wouldn't have been extirpated for the sole reason of them holding a hypothetical danger for the wizarding world.

Free elf was free from all restrictions and prohibitions. But would this elf listen to Severus in that case, even if he still worked in Hogwarts and Severus was a headmaster? Severus personally thought that the elf wouldn't. He looked at Potter.

The boy, as if reading his mind, said, "Dobby is very attached to me, actually. If it would be in his ability, he'd help."

A shy sprout of hope aroused in Severus' heart, but he didn't let it bloom: it was a too tricky situation. And yet, he thought it was worth a try to arrange an affair with house elves. "All right," he nodded. "I'll now call the Malfoys' elf and tell him to bring here one of the Hogwarts' elves. But you should understand," he decided to warn the boy, "that they can refuse to listen to me and search for your friend Dobby, because we are now outside the castle grounds!"

"We _have_ to try," Potter declared, looking him in the eye.

"We'll do," Severus assured him. "But you still need to pretend to be a corpse, Potter. The elf of the Malfoys might not suspect anything. You don't have to do something yourself, actually. Just drink the potion and you'll lay as motionless as dead. 

Potter gave a shudder. His gaze revealed hesitation. "Is it the Draught of Living Death?" he asked.

"Not quite," Severus answered. "It's a potion of the Deepest Slumber. They have the same principle, but my potion's effect lasts not that long."

"I..." Potter wavered. "I'd rather have some guarantee..."

"What guarantee?! Severus snapped, momentarily offended by Potter's distrust for his potion skills. "I promise you'll wake up!" He took a vial out of his first-aid kit and thrusted it Potter under the nose. "Here, drink it!" he commanded sharply. 

The boy took the vial hesitantly.

"Today, if possible," Severus said acrimoniously.

Potter glanced at him anxiously, but unquestioningly opened the bottle and took a sip. His face puckered. "Do I need to drink it all?" he croaked.

"Yes, you do," Severus confirmed without remorse.


	3. Chapter 3

Severus had to lower the temperature in the room. It couldn't harm Potter in the state he was put in and it was necessary to create outward appearances of a morgue there. Potter laid on the tabletop, naked, private parts covered with a piece of cloth to comply with minimum of decency, motionless, eyes closed, skin shined with lotion spread over it - for the outward appearances, too. Severus used the immobilizing charm once again, to be on the safe side. The chest of the "corpse" didn't rise, eyeballs didn't move under the eyelids, pulse couldn't be palpated, so Severus did not worry about the impression the body would make on anyone who happened to come into the room. He folded Potter's clothes neatly and put it on the table beside the boy's bare feet. Like a cake with a cherry on top, he crowned the pile with the boy's glasses, that were whole once again: back in the drawing room Severus had put them in the pocket of his cloak, brought here and repaired with a charm. 

All was ready for visitors to come. He called Dimmy and told him to go to Hogwarts and bring here the elf named Horst. Severus had used the old elf as an assistant in his laboratory when he brewed potions and knew one thing about him that would let him cajole the elf if things went wrong. 

The Malfoys' elf popped out of view and Severus prepared to wait. In order to not pace around, giving his impatience away, he stood by the window. 

It was dark outside, there remained a few hours before dawn. In the morning, he would have to report to the Lord, and now he didn't even know if their plan would work or not. If it wouldn't, then they would have to do something else to get out of this situation. Severus didn't even want to think about it, but he forced himself to mull over again and again what he would have to do in this case: stall for time, brew potions, keep deceiving the Lord, search for a plausible reason to leave the Manor with the boy's body - nothing of this stirred up enthusiasm in him, but maybe those actions would be their only chance to get out of this.

The minutes dragged on, turning, as it seemed to Severus, into eternity. Weary of the bright light, he spelled all the lamps on the walls, save one, off. 

The same moment there was a loud crack and Severus turned around. Dimmy finally returned and brought old Horst. Receiving no new task, the Malfoys' elf left the room.

In semidarkness, Horst, hunched, goggled with puzzlement at Severus and at the impersonal body on the table - Severus put a handkerchief on Potter's face in advance - and shifted from one foot to the other on the stone floor. "The Headmaster needs Horst to help him in his laboratory?" he asked in a husky voice.

"No, not now," Severus said. "I need your help with something else. There was an elf named Dobby in Hogwarts, he called himself a free house-elf. Do you know him?"

Horst blinked, shifted his feet again and only after a few seconds answered, "Horst knows."

"Does he still work in the castle?" asked Severus, agitated.

A few seconds of silence followed again.

"No. Left. In summer."

"Do you know where he went?" Severus tried to remain calm, but the elf was sending a firm signal that he wasn't in a hurry at all. When he was assisting Severus with the potions brewing in Hogwarts, he was way more efficient and, overall, behaved differently. 

Now, the old house-elf was shifting his feet constantly, turning his head around, yawned once and never answered Severus' last question. 

"Can you find him and bring here?" Severus made another try, not letting his impatience leak into his voice.

Once again, eloquent silence followed, accompanied by two yawns this time.

Driven to the wall by intractability of the house-elf, Severus decided to resort to his secret trump. "If you help me, I'll let you have all the samples of Goldilocks tincture that remains in the laboratory," he uttered ingratiatingly, holding back his emotions - the number of things were at stake right now.

The elfs' ears roused, the half-lidded eyes opened wide. "Horst will help the Headmaster!" he exclaimed hoarsely with excitement. "But Horst doesn't know how long it will take."

His reaction was inspiring, and Severus cheered up. "If you find Dobby before five o'clock in the morning, the deal will be in effect," he assured the house-elf. "But tell it nobody," he warned. "If you wouldn't be able to cope with it, return at five o'clock here. The job for you would be different, and the reward three times lesser."

The elf stared at him for a moment, then nodded vividly and vanished with the usual crack.

Severus was left to pace the room impatiently. He laid his strongest hopes on the incentive he gave the elf and expected him to do his hardest best to find Dobby in order to gain the whole prize. 

The potion, full stock of which Severus promised the elf in the case of success, was harmless, but also almost useless, and therefore quite rare. It had an effect that wasn't asked-for by many wizards, only pranksters like Weasley twins would have been interested in it: it made the voice of the person who drank it squeak in the same manner as an old, cracked furniture would. The process of making Goldilocks tincture, though, was maybe not time-consuming, but intricate, so it happened to be one of the potions that was used for testing the students' brewing skills in the NEWT potion classes. The old elf had conceived a liking for this tincture when he'd happened to sniff in its vapor once assisting Severus in the process of brewing the sample, but, except for a school's laboratory, he couldn't get it anywhere. This vapor, as Severus learned, had an influence on house-elves evinced in calming and euphorigenic action. Severus was a little bit concerned about the health of the old house-elf, so he hoped that professor Slughorn, who was now in charge of potion classes, hadn't brew any new samples of Goldilocks tinkture, because when Severus was a potion teacher himself, there hadn't been more than three phials of it left in stock - with that amount of "narcotics" the elf's body wouldn't have suffered much.

Severus admitted that to use a house-elf to Apparate away from the house protected with the strongest Anti-Apparition charms was quite a brainwave. He knew it would never occur to him, however. But Potter, though not being scholastically brilliant, seemed to have an unconventional mind - something should have assisted him to disengage from the situations he always had been getting caught in. The Headmaster's office remained the safest place in Hogwarts, as far as Severus knew, even if the castle was stuffed with Lord's agents. To Apparate right there was the best case scenario for both Potter and him: it was warm there, there was enough upholstered furniture they could rest upon, and no one could have learned that Severus returned there, not alone, at that. What also mattered a lot, the portrait of Dumbledore, whose great plan they was trying to implement and whose advice they both could have certainly very happily use, was also placed exactly in that room.

But would Horst be able to accomplish his task? Severus didn't actually think he would. He thought of the second option: they could just slip away with him from the manor, go somewhere else and hide themselves from the Lord. Sure enough, in that case, they wouldn't be able to take a good rest or ask a wise man for advice. That's why Severus decided to wait as long as it was safe. What if in the end Horst would manage to find Dobby - the elf who wasn't constrained by prohibitions of the wizarding world, the only one who could have brought them to Hogwarts?

Despite the late hour (or rather unearthly early one) and tiredness of his body, Severus' nervous system ringed with hyper-arousal. He couldn't fall asleep in this state of uncertainty, but he needed to rest. He summoned a chair from the pile of furniture in the corner - it seemed it was hastily displaced there to clear working space for him - and sat down heavily. This time, he prepared to wait long. He immersed into a state similar to trance. The images of what he went through this evening and night flashed in his mind as if he was dreaming. But he wasn't asleep and his sense organs would register any rustle in the room any time, if it would occur. Time passed by.

What took him out of this not quite slumber was the melodic chime of signal - the timer charms that he conjured beforehand went off. It meant, one hour passed. Severus didn't feel rested at all. He felt only the extra heaviness in his head from long sitting without the opportunity to relax. He hoisted out of his chair and walked around the room. Potter laid on the table motionlessly, with the pale skin that shined in the light of the only lamp. The thought came across Severus' mind that what had happened in this room was just his imagination and that the boy was actually dead. Severus screwed up his eyes and shaked his head. He had to keep a grip on the reality. Dear Merlin, did he need a cup of strong coffee now!

A loud crack took him by surprise. He hadn't truly believed that Horst was able to fulfill his mission and therefore wasn't expecting him so soon. But his heart leapt joyfully when he turned to the sound source. There stood two elves before him: one of them, old and hunched, was wrapped in a towel with the embroidered emblem of Hogwarts, the other, thinner and taller than the first, wore a knitted sweater, differently colored socks and several knitted hats that were put one on another. It was Dobby, Severus realised - only a free elf could look like this.

The free elf goggled at him with his huge pale eyes and quivered.

"Thank you, Horst," Severus said, suppressing his excitement. "You know where the Goldilock samples are stored. I, Severus Snape, the Headmaster of Hogwarts grant you a permit to take them for yourself. Do not say a word about this to professor Slughorn, he doesn't need to know. You may return to Hogwarts now."

The old elf, whose cheeks reddened in anticipation of pleasure and tips of ears started to tremble, bowed and popped out.

"Headmaster Snape, Sir?" the remaining elf squeaked in a thin wobbly voice after silence set in. "Why did the Headmaster called Dobby to this house?"

"I want you to do a very important thing, Dobby," Severus answered seriously.

The elf stared at him with the timid defiance. "Dobby serves only honest wizards! Dobby will not serve his former masters and their guests!"

As the elf's quivering became more intense after he demonstrated his audacity, Severus hurried to set his mind at rest. "Your service required not by me, Dobby, but by the most honest wizard in the world. Promise not to say a word and I tell you who it is."

Still looking worried, Dobby, though, bent his head on one side. "What wizard?"

"Promise not to utter a sound, first. His safety depends on it."

It seemed Severus managed to stir up the elf's curiosity. Dobby nodded and readily placed his palms over his mouth.

"The body on the table," Severus started to explain, "is a living person." Dobby shifted his gaze there. "He is in deep sleep. He must be transferred to Hogwarts. Can you Apparate him there?"

Dobby nodded, still keeping his hands over his mouth.

"So, now I can tell you the most important part. This person is Harry Potter." Severus removed the handkerchief from Potter's face.

Dobby looked like he was going to jump out of his sweater, his ears trepidated and he started to dance on the cold floor, but to his credit, he didn't unclasp his hands and made no sound, except for some indistinct mumbling.

"His clothes are here," Severus pointed at the pile on the edge of the tabletop. He removed the immobilizing charm from Potter's body to make it easier to dress him. Dobby went to the task immediately - all pieces jumped to their right places on Harry's body, including glasses. Severus couldn't have finished it that fast even if he'd used the levitation and "pulling-on" charms.

"There's one more thing, Dobby," Severus stopped the elf on the point of darting to an already dressed Potter. "Take me to Hogwarts too. Only I can wake Harry from this magical sleep."

Of course, the elf didn't believe him. He tried to wake Potter the very moment he heard Severus' words, but as it was expected, unsuccessfully. The Potion of the Deepest Slumber had to be in effect for a few more hours, but the wayward elf shouldn't have known this, less he would be tempted to leave Severus here to be torn to pieces by his dark master. Dobby looked at Severus dubiously, but nodded.

"Wait a minute, Dobby. I need to clean the room." Severus couldn't believe that everything worked so easily. A sense of relief and a wild joy made it hard for him to concentrate. Only by strength of will he managed to clear his mind and focus on his task. He made Potter hover in the air over the table, removed all remaining traces on the worktop, made the piece of cloth and the handkerchief that had covered Potter before disappear and removed all the protecting and alarming charms from the room, except for one silencing. Then he wrapped his arm firmly around the chest of Potter's levitated body and turned to the waiting elf. "Hogwarts Headmaster quarters," he commanded.

The elf took Severus' hand in his, with the other grabbed one of Potter's arms that was hanging down flaccidly, and the room with the long table vanished before Severus' eyes in the whirl of Disapparition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the name Horst is okay. :)  
> I also humbly ask you to please forgive me all the wrong verb tenses I probably used in this text. :(  
> I would be immensely grateful to anyone who showed me my mistakes :')


	4. Chapter 4

When Severus found himself in his sitting room, he realized how drained he was. He levitated Potter's body in the bedroom, while Dobby minced along and looked at him expectantly. As Severus layed Potter on the bed, he barely kept his own balance and sat heavily on the mattress, beside the untroubled body. He checked the pulse, hardly traceable even with the help of magic. Judging by the readouts, Potter was going to remain in this state for three more hours. 

The boy was in no danger here, in this quarters.

"Dobby," Severus started slowly: his tired brain picked up the right words with difficulty. "For Harry's safety, nobody must know that he is here. The Dark Lord thinks he's dead. Let him continue to think so. Also, nobody must know that I returned to the castle, otherwise Harry's location will be uncovered too. Do you understand?"

The house-elf stared at him, twisting his ears in his hands. He nodded silently.

"I need to go outside and collect something from the place where Harry stopped last time," Severus proceeded. "His friends - Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley - are probably there right now. I want them to join Harry here as soon as possible." Dobby's ears jumped up joyfully. "Could you help me?" Severus asked, hoping strongly that the elf wouldn't refuse.

"The Headmaster wants to Apparate outside Hogwarts and return here again?" Dobby bleated thinly.

"Yes."

"Dobby will help," the elf reached out his hand.

"Thank you, Dobby. I wouldn't manage without you," Severus uttered wearily, squeezing the elf's fingers in his.

Dobby smiled timidly, and they Dissapparated.

***

Now they stayed on the edge of the forest clearing that Severus had visited at the beginning of the night. To get there, Dobby moved them through the tough corridor in time and space and Severus gave their shifting the right direction with his intention. He only hoped that Potter's friends hadn't thrown themselves into the unknown in search for the boy and were still here.

"Can you see them?" he asked the house-elf.

"No, sir. Dobby can't," the elf answered, "but Dobby knows, Miss Hermione and Mr. Weasley are here."

Severus exhaled, relieved. He conjured his Patronus again. He decided that the best tactics would be to lure young people outside, rather than send Dobby inside - or he wouldn't be able to control the situation. "Give Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley the message," he told the doe. "Tell them, 'Dobby will Apparate you to Harry. Follow me.' Bring them outside their camp."

The doe crossed the clearing and disappeared from view under the cover of protective enchantments. Severus and Dobby stepped back to the trees and started to wait, warming themselves with charms. Severus took a gulp of Invigoration Draught from his kit to drive his drowsiness away. 

A few minutes later, the doe reappeared on the center of the clearing and stood there pointing her nose at the place she just left. No one followed her. She pawed the ground impatiently, leaving no prints on the snow. She waited. Severus and Dobby waited along. After a while, the protective enchantments around the camp fell and, in the weak light of his Patronus, Severus saw Granger and Weasley. With their wands raised, they stood there, tense, concentrated, prepared for anything.

Severus came to the center of the clearing, the elf followed. When the boy and the girl noticed them, their faces evinced the mixture of horror and bewilderment.

"What are you doing here?!" Weasley exclaimed, pointing his wand at Severus.

Severus kept his hands in front of him, demonstrating that they were empty and that he came in peace. "I'm here to help you find what you are searching," he answered. "Potter's alive. He was captured here, in the forest and was brought to the Dark Lord, but at the moment, he is in a safe place. The Lord thinks he killed him, but it's not true. The name of the Lord must not be spoken, or your whereabouts will be detected right away." Severus said all this as quickly as he could, watching how different expressions on the faces of his former students changed one another.

At his last words, they looked at each other. Granger's eyes went wide with surprise and Weasley gave her a ghost of a nod. Then she turned to Severus, narrowing her eyes. "How could we know this is not a trap?" she asked. They both still were pointing their wands at Severus.

"I don't think you'd trust me, no matter what I say. But your friend here is a free elf. He serves whoever he sees fit, I'm not his master. I am on your side. It's a long story. I'll explain when we are in a safe place."

The girl and the boy looked at each other, perplexity and doubts written on their faces. 

And then, Dobby stepped forward. "It is true," he said. "Headmaster Snape helped Harry Potter escape the horrible house. Dobby would never assist a bad wizard."

"Dobby, why didn't you take Harry here?" Granger asked.

"Harry Potter is asleep, miss Hermione", the elf squeaked.

"I had to use the Potion of Deepest Slumber," Severus explained. "Everyone in Malfoy Manor had had to believe he was killed by You Know Who. Potter will wake up two or three hours later."

"What do you mean, killed?!" Weasley cried. "Where is he?"

"It is a secret," Dobby murmured, "but Dobby will take Harry Potter's friends there. Harry Potter is alive, Dobby checked."

"Excuse us for a moment," Weasley said. He drew the girl aside and started to whisper with her about something feverishly.

Severus didn't know what they deliberated on, but he couldn't help feeling that very soon he would be asked about Potter's clothes, in an attempt to be exposed as a liar.

"How did Harry's wand look?" Granger asked, when they returned.

"Broken," Severus put it bluntly. "Two pieces hanging on a string."

"It was probably his, the one with the phoenix feather. It was already broken. Harry carried it with him," Granger explained. "Didn't he have another one?" Her voice and face betrayed her nervousness.

"No, he didn't," Severus said. "Most probably, he was disarmed when was captured. If he had some other wand with him, it either went to attackers - that, I think, is not true, because Potter is too important to the Lord, so he would take away his wand from them and I probably would know - or was lost somewhere in the forest." He shrugged, but seeing how his interlocutor's face lengthened, he added, "But I know, where we could search for it."

"What clothes did Harry wear!" Weasley interfered, asking the _sacral_ question.

Granger tossed her head, as if she remembered something important she wanted to ask about, but bit her lip, apparently deciding to let her friend recieve his answer first.

"Blue shirt. Black, once, jeans. Trainers. One beige sock, one brown." Severus raised his eyebrow. "He was stripped of warm clothing. He had a snitch with him and a fragment of a broken mirror."

Granger and Weasley exchanged glances once again and the girl nodded slightly. Then, a moment later, she stared at Severus. "What did he have around his neck?" she blurted out.

"Nothing," Severus said. "But they found a ripped chain in his belongings, no pendants, though."

Their faces became evidently worried. After a silent exchange of glances, Granger turned to Severus. "We have to look around the place you're talking about," she spoke in an agitated voice. "I mean, where Harry was captured. It is very important! If you're not lying and you're on our side..." She didn't finish.

"I take your point," Severus said. "I will help you. But you don't know everything yet. There is the real sword of Gryffindor hidden near that place. On the bottom of a pool, to be precise. Someone needs to take it out." Granger and Weasley goggled at him. "As I said, it's a long story. I'll tell you everything in a safe place."

The couple exchanged glances again, and Weasley said, "Lead on."

Following the silver doe, they walked to the pool. Severus cleared the new layer of snow from the ice and lit Lumos. The cross of the sword glowed dimly through the water and its frozen surface.

"Can you retrieve it, Mr. Weasley?" Severus asked.

The boy stared at him, puzzled.

"The problem is, the sword can't be reached just by anyone," Severus started wearily, as if repeating a studied lesson. "Only a true Gryffindor can obtain it."

He decided not to specify that he, as a Headmaster of Hogwarts who took this position by personal approbation of the previous headmaster, had no problems touching the sword (he could tell them about this later), but the Summoning Charm couldn't be used on it, so somebody still needed to pull it out of the pool. 

Weasley, on whom Severus' words about a true Gryffindor probably had an incentive effect, scratched his head and got down to work.

In the meantime, Granger raised the wand in her hand and called, "Accio vine wood wand!" She turned around and repeated the spell, but there was no effect. "It seems, they seized it," she mumbled, upset.

"I don't think so", Severus said. "Most probably, _this_ wand just doesn't obey your orders properly." He saw the girl looking at him in wide-eyed astonishment, and explained indulgently, "It wasn't hard to guess, watching your emotions, miss Granger, that Potter took _your_ wand with him when he'd gone for a stroll." Severus took out his own wand. "Accio Miss Granger's wand!" 

One second, two, and the lost item flew to Severus' palm and he offered it to its rightful owner, bowing jokingly. The joy that bloomed on her face was, so to speak, his reward.

At the moment, Weasley emerged from the icy water, splashing in the opening. Granger rushed to her friend and helped him to crawl out on the thin ice, while he was holding the sword of Gryffindor in one hand. The girl quickly dried and warmed the young man with charms and then threw herself on his neck. A couple of seconds later they broke their embrace, shy, and turned to Severus.

"Professor. There was a very important object on Harry's chain. A locket," Granger started gingerly, probably believing now that Severus really wanted to help. "Since there was no locket with him in the residence, I think Harry had probably got rid of it while he still was here. You see..." She hesitated for a moment and then continued, "this locket must never go to You Know Who. Did you and Harry talk? Did he mention the locket?"

"We talked, but no locket was a subject of issue. Is it connected to the task Dumbledore had given you?"

Their faces darkened when the name of the previous headmaster of Hogwarts was pronounced. 

"Harry told you about the task?.." Granger gasped.

"No. I will tell you everything later," Severus repeated, forcing himself to be patient. "Miss Granger, we do not have much time. What are you driving at? Do you think Potter threw this locket in the bushes and we need to search for it?"

"Yes!" Grainger almost cried. "Exactly! But it's impossible to summon it with charms." She looked simultaneously agitated and upset.

"Did you try?" Severus asked. "What kind of a locket is it?"

"It is the locket of Salazar Slytherin," the girl sniffled, hanging her head down.

***

In an attempt to find the locket, they lost nearly an hour. Totally creased, they decided to leave the searching for the daytime and not to try anything at all while Harry was still asleep and they hadn't asked him about what he had done with the locket. 

When they Apparated to the Headmaster quarters in Hogwarts and undressed, Severus noticed how malnourished those two young people looked, how exhausted they were by the sleepless night (as he was himself). While they were waiting for Potter's slumber to end, Severus set the table for a very early breakfast in the sitting room before his bedroom. The food was brought by Dobby, who refused to tell where he got it, but requested the pay for it nevertheless. Severus agreed. He came to terms with Dobby that the elf would come when Severus called him, if he wasn't too busy, also promised, to the elf's delight, to pay him and assured him that he would be called when Potter woke up. After this, Severus let him go home, though the elf still hadn't told them where he was dwelling all this time.

While they were eating, Severus narrated Granger and Weasley about his role in the confrontation with the One Who Must Not Be Named; about the preplanned Dumbledore's death, about the mission that the Dark Lord gave Drako Malfoy, about the ring that cursed Albus; about recent Potter's capture and about his miraculous survival under the Dark Lord killing curse - he only didn't mention the fragment of Voldemort's soul that had lived in the boy's body. He patiently answered all the questions the Gryffidors kept asking him: about the ill-fated ear of George Weasley, about the way the Dark Lord learned the Order's plan with the Polyjuice Potion and the seven Potters, about Death Eaters, about Hogwarts students detentions, about the sword of Gryffindor - to top it all. Now they knew barely fewer facts about him than Potter learned in Malfoy Manor.

In the remaining time before Potter's awakening, Severus let the wanderers use his bathroom, which made him add an extra door leading there from the sitting room, since the regular door lead from the bedroom and Potter's friends shouldn't have seen his lifeless pale form laying on the bed ahead of time for them not to worry about him without the proper reason. 

Granger was splashing under the shower for more than half an hour; Weasley, after her, took it a bit faster. Meantime, Severus checked the Mirror shield on windows in the sitting room, the bedroom and the office room below. After that, he applied the Dispersive Charm over the funnel, so the chimney could be secretly kindled again: the heat accumulated in this rooms through the previous day was gradually blowed away, but the smoke above the Headmaster's tower would have betrayed their presence here, which was absolutely unallowable.

When Granger and Weasley both finished their water procedures and sat worn out and gently nodding off next to each other on the sofa in the sitting room, Severus, too, took a quick shower and shaved, having no time to examine properly his own tired face in the mirror. 

And when the time finally came, he made sure that the Potter's state was normal and only after this invited his friends in the bedroom.

"Mr. Potter, wake up," he shook the boy's shoulder. "You have visitors."

Potter had not even opened his eyes fully, as Granger flung herself at him. Weasley awkwardly stepped from one foot to another behind her.

"How are you?" the girl asked.

"Fine," Potter answered drowsily, and suddenly jumped up. "Hermione! You... Where am I?" He twisted his head round, apparently disoriented by an unfamiliar room. His glasses laid on the bed stand, where Severus put them, but Potter didn't even think of searching for them. 

"As we agreed before, you are in Hogwarts," Severus notified him.

The boy stopped his weak-sighted gaze on him. "It worked," he whispered solemnly.

Severus only nodded and retreated to the door. "Excuse me, I need to settle something. You probably have things to talk over without extra ears." He hurried to leave the inseparable trio alone. 

When he was crossing the sitting room he heard Potter's screaming, "Ron! You are back!.." and wondered if Weasley had been gone from their camp for some time, too. But he didn't listen to further exclaimings, instead, he went out on the stair platform, put silencing charms on the door and came down to the office. 

While the Gryffindors were bating their curiosity upstairs, Severus needed to have a talk with Dombledore. The black tea he had some time ago woke him up a little, and he hoped that it would keep him on his legs for yet another hour.


	5. Chapter 5

Dumbledore was absent. When Severus was busy with the chimney, the background of the biggest portrait in the office had been empty too. It could appear odd, taking in account how important all the happening right now was, but, knowing that the previous headmaster was notorious for his illogical behavior in his lifetime, Severus wasn't surprised at all by such apparent indifference shown by his portrait.

"Albus," Severus called, "I need you."

Nothing happened.

"Headmaster Black," Severus addressed the lesser portrait that hung to the side and a bit higher. The wizard on it was asleep. "Please, wake up," Severus urged him. Do you know where Headmaster Dumbledore went?"

The portrait of the Slytherin unnaturally started. "Oh, it's you Headmaster!" he said with feigned carelessness. "No, I haven't seen Albus. He vanished right after you went out the second time. Took you long enough to return!" The least popular Headmaster Hogwarts ever had squinted theatrically at the big clock that stood on the other side of the table. The hour hand approached the number seven. Two hours later, there would be dawn here.

"I had to settle an affair." Severus got a bit irritated. "You pretty well know that everything went a little sideways. I need to talk to Albus. Could you please call him?"

"Unfortunately, I can't, Headmaster. I have no clue where he's gone." Black shrugged.

Severus knew it was a lie, but also he knew that it was pointless to argue with a portrait. And though Phineas Nigellus always was gladly assisting him as yet another Slytherin Headmaster, in life, he had been a quite petty and hard-headed person and, therefore, the imprint of his personality that had been left in his portrait was the same. Now, Black clearly was all agog to learn all the details of what happened tonight and apparently hoped to get them out of Severus' mouth by pretending to be offended. But at the moment, Severus wasn't in any mood to bate anyone's curiosity. He needed Dumbledore and he was going to evoke a response from him with the help of cunning Black. He sat down at his work table and turned away from the portraits. By this, he started to put this plan into action.

"Do you know what had happened in the residence of the One Who Must Not Be Named?" Severus asked in an indifferent tone, fiddling with the quill he took from the table.

"Had something happened there?" the portrait of Black answered the question with a question.

"Indeed," Severus affirmed. "Harry Potter was captured, brought there and killed by He Who Must Not Be Named."

"What?!" the portrait of Headmaster Black exclaimed with the simulated shock in his voice.

"Yes," Severus reaffirmed. "That's what happened."

"Didn't you have to save the boy?" Phineas Nigellus asked. There were overtones of delight in his voice. This portrait liked playing games.

"Not at all," Severus contradicted. "On the contrary, I was going to send him to his death."

"But wasn't it too early for this?" the former headmaster murmured.

"No. It was perfect. Harry Potter died."

"But..." Phineas Nigellus started.

"Ahem," a new voice interrupted, the voice Severus was so impatiently waiting to hear. "Severus, Phineas, what are you talking about?" Albus Dumbledore, in his painted flesh, finally deigned to make his appearance inside the gilded frame of his portrait. As Severus expected him to, he couldn't hide for a long time.

"Albus, there you are!" Severus greeted him, turning his chair to the wall (he had to lift it slightly up with the Levitation spell to do so) and still twiddling with the quill. "You see, I am sharing with Headmaster Black my impressions of this night."

"And how did it go, Severus?" Dumbledor managed to twinkle with his half-moon glasses, even being painted.

"Albus," Severus said, staring the previous headmaster in the eyes. "I know you're aware of what happened. Let's stop playing games. Time is of the essence right now."

Severus, indeed, was aware that all the portraits in the Headmaster office were well-informed about what was happening in the Headmaster's bedroom: they simply peeped through the pictorial miniature glued to the wall above the bed by a Permanent Sticking Charm. Wasn't it the reason for Headmasters of Hogwarts not having a private life? - Severus mused. Though, as far as he knew, in his days, Dumbledore was perfectly able to lull the vigilance of the portraits in the office - in the literal sense of the word - but he had not passed that secret to Severus. Severus looked at the portrait intently.

"I'm listening to you, Severus," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

"You do know who I brought here. And you do know that everything has changed. What the important mission was that you charged Potter and his friends with? Why did they need the sword of Gryffindor? Why did Potter have to die? Why hasn't he died tonight?" Severus rapped out questions, the answers to which he believed he earned the right to finally know.

"I can't tell you that, my dear boy," Dumbledore said sorrowfully.

"Albus!" Severus exclaimed, not believing his ears. "There is no point in hiding the truth from me anymore! I ran away from the Dark Lord with the body of his enemy. He won't forgive me for that, ever! There's no way back for me. What do you suggest - lock myself up in these rooms and wait until Potter is done with my master? Shouldn't I at least try to assist him in that?" Severus was so tired that he barely had the strength to contain himself, but he knew, wrangling with portraits was as useless as arguing with them.

"Severus," Dumbledore said with a sincere regret in his voice. "I _can't_ tell you anything about it. The wizard I once had been left me no choice in this matter. While You Know Who lives, I won't be able to discuss Harry's mission with you." 

Severus looked at him, catatonic - he had never heard about such interdictions. Then, he surveyed other portraits in the room with hope.

"No, my dear boy." Dumbledore apparently followed his gaze. "They won't tell you what you want. I cannot discuss it with them too. That's the magic." He sighed. 

"Then, why did you make all this show?!" Severus cried, unable to restrain himself anymore and jumping up from his chair. "Why did you hide from me?!"

"To give you time to think." Dumbledore's voice was calm. "Use your knowledge, compare the facts. I am sure you'll be able to understand everything."

"No, Headmaster," Severus retorted venomously. "If that's how it is, I'll ask Potter and his friends once again!"

"It's not going to work. If you could have learned that from them you wouldn't ask me, am I right? You would get nothing from them. I made Harry promise me that he wouldn't tell anyone about his task, except for Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley."

"You got him to make an Unbreakable Vow?!" Severus exclaimed in shock.

"Of course not! But the magic of promise is powerful. It's not easy to break the promise one gave to the now deceased wizard." Dumbledore on the portrait shook his head with grief.

"I see," Severus said through clenched teeth, disillusioned once and for all. He turned to the window. He didn't even want to learn about this kind of magic, unknown to him.

It was still dark outside, only the thin line on the horizon became slightly lighter. What was happening in Malfoy Manor right now, Severus wondered. He wasn't afraid that he would be hunted here, in Hogwarts: even if they sent for him, the door of this office would never open for the enemy. He feared for his colleagues and students, who now - when Severus for sure was in the Dark Lord's disgrace, or rather most probably on his wanted list - would fall under command of some scoundrel, such as Carrow. He feared that if not Potter, then the whole school would pay for his mistake - the school Dumbledore entrusted to his care. That's why the previous headmaster must have greeted him by eloquent absence on his portrait when Severus returned - so to speak, had expressed his attitude towards his successor that fell short of expectations.

Severus was irritated, bitter and anxious. The acute sense of guilt, then joy and the relief he felt in Malfoy Manor, all the disquiet that followed shook his nervous system a good deal up, but now the remains of that agitation vanished from his body entirely, leaving only tiredness. Severus closed the eyes and stood by the window, trying not to think about anything. For at least five minutes...

The sound of careful steps on the stairs made him wake from a stupor. Severus turned round. It was Potter.

The boy stopped in the middle of the stairs. "Sir, Ron and Hermione fell asleep on your bed," he said with an apologetic smile.

No wonder, Severus thought, what else to expect from them after a sleepless night? He'd black out too, would he just take a seat on the bed right now. "All right, Potter," he said. "You go up to bed too. Your body needs rest. The potion immersed you in the state similar to freezed one - no dreams, no rejuvenation. Go to bed." Severus ran his palm across his face tiredly. "You may enlarge the bed if there's not enough room." He decided that now was not the time to observe the meaningless proprieties - the most important thing they needed was to have a good sleep. "All right, why are you still here?"

"What about you?" Potter asked. He didn't look very well: thin, pale, dishevelled, with dark shadows under the eyes, he was stuck to the stairs.

Severus looked away, turning to the window again. "I will sleep here." He waved his hand to the couch. "I need to think of something before it." Not turning, he called, "Dobby!" The loud crack followed. "Harry Potter is awake and all yours. You can have a conversation in the sitting room above."

Joyful whimpering behind his back told him that the house-elf got, finally, to his worshipped idol, and now the boy was cornered, unless he came up with the idea of giving the elf the order to leave him alone. Whatever one could say about it, the house-elves were trained to obey, no matter to what extent free they were. Severus' brain refused to think over the ethical component of this issue right now. He heard how the door that went to the sitting room shut. 

He closed his eyes again.

***

Thoughts stirred slowly in his exhausted mind. Severus realized that right now he couldn't do without stimulation of mental activity. He had a potion in his drawer for exactly these sort of things. This potion helped to develop the logical line of reasoning, easily discard blind-alley takeoffs, find among the junk of useless information the essence and, thereby, come to well-grounded conclusions, that, in the end, helped to make right decisions. The effect of this potion resembled Severus the effect of Felix Felicis, the potion of liquid luck, with the only difference: it interacted with the rational, while Felix influenced the irrational. Severus opened the drawer by spell and summoned the vial of the Rational Drug.

Upon the tired body, the drug took some time to work. Severus had to wait ten minutes before he felt a burst of energy. When the potion took an effect, though, it immediately became easier to think. Severus had no time to be slow, because of the limited effective period of the drug, so he started to remember what he learned about Potter's task on the last day.

Firstly, the boy, for some reason, needed the sword of Gryffindor. Secondly, there also was that important object - the locket of Salazar Slytherin.

Dear Merlin! He forgot to ask Potter if he really threw the locket in snow. But the boy just talked to him and looked calm, and his friends fell asleep with no trouble at all, despite all those things they had said in the forest. Granger, by the way, couldn't have told Severus something sensible back then about this locket. Did it mean that the magic of Potter's promise to Albus affected his friends too? It seemed so. Particularly since Dumbledore on the portrait hinted at it himself. Anyway, it seemed that everything was all right with the locket, most probably it was laying somewhere in a snowdrift and Potter expected to find it later. Or, in the worst case, Potter had swallowed it for safekeeping. Taking comfort in this thought, Severus returned to his problem.

Why was Potter in need of the sword of Gryffindor?

With this sword, last summer, Albus had broken the ring that had cursed him deadly. Why did he break it? It couldn't have saved him from the curse. But he still did it - and whatever he'd told Severus at the time - not without purpose. Severus had to understand his reasons. And for doing so, he needed to refresh his memory.

After some preparations, Severus plunged into Pensieve, right into the memories of that day when he came to barely alive Dumbldore who had a blackened hand. It turned out that that day the headmaster hadn't told him just anything useful about the ring: not only why he really put this ring on his finger, but also where he got it and who was its previous owner. But right after that they started to talk about the mission to kill the headmaster Voldemort gave to Drako Malfoy. The words that Albus had said, about the possibility of Drako ripping his soul apart because of commiting murder, had a quite stronger impression on Severus now than when they were first told to him that disastrous day a year and a half ago.

So, it meant, a murder was able to rip the soul of a murderer apart. Severus had heard those words before, not even once, but he never had attached value to their meaning. He certainly should have - apparently, it wasn't just a pretty metaphor after all. 

So, most probably it hadn't been a killing curse of Voldemort rebounded from baby Potter that caused Voldemort's soul blasting apart, as Dumbledore had put it. It had been a murder, commited by the Lord, that did the job - the murder of Lily Potter, who tried to shield her son from him. When the fragment of the Lord's soul latched itself on the boy's living body it started to live there, making the death of Voldemort impossible while this stand-alone fragment was still existing. That night, when Harry survived the killing curse for the first time, Voldemort disappeared, dissolved in the air, but he didn't die. Kept on Earth by this anchor, years later, he found a way to reappear in flesh. And tonight, not even knowing it, he destroyed the anchor, killing not Potter, but the fragment of his own soul that was living in the boy.

Did it mean that the Dark Lord could be killed now, once and for all? Severus thought no. Otherwise Potter wouldn't have received his mysterious task. Also, if it was so easy, Voldemort would have been already done with.

Come to think of it, Voldemort killed many people. It could happen that every time he did so he split his soul just as well, and those fragments latched themselves at somebody alive around. It could have been Nagini, Voldemort's snake, for example. Albus was sure that one day Voldemort would have started to fear for the life of his snake. Severus wondered, if it wasn't because she carried the fragment of Lord's soul inside her body too. Indeed, It could explain it just perfectly.

And if the snake was killed then the fragment of Voldemort's soul inside it would be killed to, right? No, it wasn't so certain, probably the result would have depended on the method of killing. Albus asserted that Voldemort had to kill Harry himself to eliminate the fragment of his soul in him. He did it tonight. Harry survived - the fragment, in all likelihood, didn't.

It was actually very interesting, what would have happened if the Lord ordered someone else to kill Potter? Wouldn't Potter in this case end up dead with the fragment of Voldemort's soul dwelling in the bones of his skull? Since Dumbledore insisted that Potter had to be killed by Voldemort himself, it probably would have been exactly like that.

So, was it that only the Lord himself could destroy his anchors? It seemed so. The problem was that, of course, he wouldn't do it intentionally.

On the other hand, Potter had got his mission not without purpose. While Albus instructed Severus about his own task, he presupposed that when it would be the time for the boy to go and die, he'd arrange things the way that after his death Voldemort would be mortal again. It could mean only one thing - Potter somehow was able to destroy the Lord's anchors.

But he, too, was one of them, until tonight. Could it mean that before he had held the power of elimination? Could one anchor destroy another anchor? If it was like that, then such a powerful anchor could have destroyed the whole Voldemort. So, it most probably wasn't true. It wasn't the case.

Even without the fragment of Voldemort's soul, Potter still was able to destroy the other anchors. By the look of it all, the sword of Gryffindor was meant to be this weapon of destruction. Why else would Potter have needed it?

So, the question about Potter's mission was settled!

And since Potter and Co. had had a super-duper important, extremely, insanely secret locket of Slytherin in their possession at the same time they should have received the sword, the conclusion Severus could arrive at was only one - the sword was needed to destroy the locket. Inanimate objects could probably be able to become anchors too, equally well as animate beings.

Why was Granger so afraid that the Lord could learn about the locket? Because in this case he'd have realized that his anchors were hunted for. And probably would have hid them better.

By the way, where did the trio get this locket? He'd better question them about this later, would he be able to do so.

The answer to his question - why Dumbledore broke the ring with the sword - became obvious for Severus. Because the ring had held the fragment of Voldemort's soul and it should have been destroyed, that's why! When Dumbledore was exposed to the deadly curse and realized that he wouldn't live long, he brought down the task to Potter - to find and destroy the other anchors. (And then kill the snake and go and die himself - such a disheartening prospect... It was really good that the boy survived.)

Everything was clear now - about the mission Dumbledore gave Potter, abot the sword of Gryffindor, about Potter's resurrection - everything, except for just two things. One of them was terrifically important, the other - not quite so.

The question that was critical to answer - by answering it they would understand how soon they could finish with all the anchors - was how many of those anchors existed. Had Dumbledore had the list of all sought for items with the specified location? The old slyboots should have probably had some knowledge on this regard - he'd had his strong confidence in Potter for a reason. Therefore, the boy most probably knew what he needed to find, too. Severus wished he could pull this information out of him somehow. But maybe, it could have appeared that the magical barrier that prevented discussing this issue was already removed because of Severus guessing what the main secret was. He needed to test the waters by questioning the boy about it later.

The second question, not so important, but highly interesting nevertheless, was, why the anchors had to be destroyed with the sword of Gryffindor. What was special about it? Why was it possible to destroy a fragment of Voldemort's soul with it, whereas only Voldemort had the power to do so?

The sword, such as it was, was a Muggle weapon, forged by goblins a long time ago. Except for the fact that only brave men could obtain it, there seemed to be nothing remarkable about it. But Voldemort for some reason ordered Severus to hide the sword in Gringotts Bank - he probably knew, too, about its power that could destroy incorporeal things. So, what was this power?

Severus summoned a weighty tome of Hogwarts: A History from the shelf of a bookcase. Only few magical properties of the sword were described in the book: the sword could be taken only by a brave heart under the conditions of need and valour; it imbibed power of everything that came in contact with it if it made the sword stronger; the silver of its blade couldn't become dirty or dim. Severus found the second property interesting. It pretty much could have happened once that the sword came in contact with some powerful means of elimination of fragments of dark wizards' souls.

Perhaps there was no need in looking into this issue in detail. But Severus, having no clue how to approach the really important question, decided to think about this one for a while.

He knew that the cursed ring had been broken with this sword. He doubted that the magic of the ring could have strengthened the sword to any extent - the curse itself would rather do it. Also, at that moment the sword had already had the power to destroy the fragments of souls. So, it couldn't be the answer to his question.

Before that, Potter had himself killed with this sword the Basilisk. The flesh of a giant serpent wouldn't have added anything valuable to the blade's properties. But its venom... The Basilisk venom was very likely able to kill even a fragment of a soul. If it was the Basilisk venom, it cleared things up just perfectly.

So it seemed, the question about the sword was settled. It had come in contact with the Basilisk venom and imbibed its ability to kill.

But why did they need to use the sword if there was the venom? The Basilisk corpse was still lying somewhere in the depths of the Hogwarts foundation. A few years ago, the younger daughter of Weasley let the serpent out from its secret shelter. The girl was possessed by Voldemort, or to be more precise, by his younger version, Tom Riddle. It happened because of Riddle's diary that Lucius put stealthily in her belongings. Later, when Voldemort returned to life, he was furious about the destruction of this diary: back then Potter pierced it with a Basilisk fang and the diary lost its magic power, and the phantom of Tom disappeared.

Wait - with the Basilisk fang? Severus was stricken by a sudden guess. It had the venom inside, right? Plus, the Lord became furious, didn't he? Wasn't it, by any chance, another fragment of his soul that lived its little life in the diary and was killed with that venom?

Now Severus had the list. The diary, the ring, the locket, Potter himself, Nagini. The five anchors. But it wasn't in the Dark Lord's style to stop at five, he would have probably made seven, with his predilection for everything magic.

That was it - seven! It was a plausible number.

If the fragments were seven, it meant, the ones that remained to be found were only two or three, depending on whether they should consider the remnant of Voldemort's soul in his body as one or not - the one that was in Potter shouldn't have been counted because Lord didn't know about it and didn't create it on purpose, if Severus interpreted Albus' words right. But, who knows...

So, they needed to find and destroy - with the sword of Gryffindor or with the Basilisk venom - two or three magic objects, besides the locket, and the snake. Not too many. Also, Potter probably knew, or at least had an idea, what those objects were (if not procured them all already - actually, Severus _needed_ to try to question him on the matters). Severus only knew about Nagini. But the snake was a no-touch till the end - if it was targeted, the Lord would have immediately guessed about their plan.

In the event that not all artefacts were still found, Severus was sure he could speed up the process of realization of Potter's mission. But he didn't know how to leave out the magical block and actually speak about it, and whether they could do it at all. Once again, it became hard to think; the effect of the Drug came to an end. Outside the window, dawn broke.

At this point, Severus decided that he had enough. With the last of his powers, he started to think how much time would be enough for him to rest. He settled on three hours, transfigured the sofa into a bed and dropped on it without undressing. The same moment, he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Severus had a dream. Again and again, he was assuring his master that the sword of Gryffindor had not been stolen, that it was kept safely - in the vault of the Lestranges at Gringotts Bank. The Lord was looking at Severus in irritation, turning his head away from him and sending him away with a gesture.

Severus woke up. Focus and clarity of thought came immediately. 

The Lestranges' vault! 

Bellatrix was a trusted person of the Dark Lord, devoted to him to excess, to cringing. He could give her something really valuable for safekeeping. It was quite possible that at least one of the objects that Potter searched for was placed in the Lestranges' vault at Gringotts.

Severus sat on his transfigured bed. He felt well rested and had a fresh head. Dim daylight lit the room. He casted a glance at the clock. It was almost two.

Had he missed his alarm charm?

After some thought, he realized that the blame should go to the potion he took not long before bed. The two side effects of the Rational Drug were a sound sleep (whereas Severus usually woke up from the smallest noise) and an easy awakening. Yet another side effect of it was the one that a moment ago so luckily came in handy. It was morning dreams, in which you could have a hint at the solving of some really important problems. Remembering this, Severus became sure that his guess about the Lestranges' vault was right. 

"Dobby!" he called.

The elf appeared before him with a crack. "Did the Headmaster wake up? Dobby will bring him lunch."

"Wait," Severus said, forestalling the elf Disapparation. "Do you happen to know what our young friends are doing?"

"Harry Potter is asleep, Headmaster, sir." The elf raised his huge eyes to the ceiling as if he could see through it. "Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley are too." 

Severus exhaled relieved. He was a bit concerned that the Trio had rushed for an adventure, while he was asleep. "Bring the food for four," he ordered, searched his pockets for money and reached them out to the elf. Then he halted for a moment. "One more thing, Dobby... Can you find today's issue of The Prophet?" 

"Dobby will do," the elf squeaked and disappeared with a crack.

It was necessary for Severus to learn the last news. The Dark Lord was now aware of his flight from Malfoy Manor with the Potter's body: he had learned it several hours ago. What had he thought about it? What did he plan to do or was already doing? 

Most probably he searched for him.

Suddenly, Severus realized one thing: his Dark Mark showed no sign of life. All this time there was unconscious apprehension sitting in Severus' mind that any given moment the Dark Lord would command him to come back, scorching his Mark mirthlessly, but nothing was happening, and Severus had not been even surprised by this fact, as his brain was busy with other thoughts and concerns. But now, finally realizing this, he didn't feel relief, on the contrary, he became more alarmed. 

What type of game was his master playing with him? Was he pretending that he was still trusting Severus, to lull his vigilance? Or was he waiting Severus to make the first move to just knock him off, without frittering away his own energy? Or maybe he was aware where the fugitive made his way, and right this moment he was collecting a force to capture Hogwarts? Was it conceivable? Could he be aware that Potter survived? No, he couldn't, he couldn't! Severus paced nervously.

Now, he had no opportunity to learn the plans of the Dark Lord - he became a deserter, a turncoat, a traitor. Did the Lord suppose that Severus defected to the enemy? It would be only natural to think so, but Voldemort's mind was so twisted, that perhaps this simple explanation wouldn't satisfy him. Likely, he believed that Severus was going to demand money for the invaluable stolen body, but it was hard to tell for sure, as Severus couldn't look into his master's mind. He could only hope that Voldemort, too, couldn't look into anybody's mind, that the link between his and Potter's conscience had disappeared when the fragment of his soul was destroyed.

Severus looked out the window. Several students that remained for the Christmas holidays were outdoors, walking in the dull light of cloudy day; at some distance, a patrolling Death Eater was strutting about. Everything seemed peaceful as far as it could be under such a regime. Had there been any changes happening to the Hogwarts administration? What of the last night developments were made public?

Finally, Dobby returned. He brought a newspapers, said that he stole it from the trash bin - well, in these circumstances it was unwise to be too picky. Severus told Dobby to wake the sleepy heads and lay the coffee table in the sitting room (that table was already enlarged for their night meal), and said he would come up soon. Dobby went to carry out his task, and Severus started to survey the news.

On the first page - Severus wasn't surprised at all - was a photograph of himself, under the headline "The Missing Headmaster!" accompanied with the short call to "anyone who had seen Severus Snape, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, who suddenly disappeared from his post" to immediately notify the Ministry. Following this, on the next spread, there was an interview with Amycus Carrow and his sister Alecto. Severus began to read the article with a lot of attention.

_"I have been working with Headmaster Snape since the beginning of this academic year," Amycus Carrow, a respectable professor of Hogwarts, who teaches Defence against the Dark Arts, tells our reporter. "My sister and I are in our first year as professors, but it gives us a big pleasure to work with the young wizards and witches! To put into the heads of growing and developing individuals science and ability to think the right way - how could one not enjoy this? Professor Snape always had a reputation for his right views, was strict but fair to the students in his classes. But yesterday, he disappeared. My sister and I think it has to mean something. Tell what you know, Alecto."_

_"Give me a moment, please." Alecto Carrow, a professor, as much respected as her brother, joins our conversation. "When has it happened? Oh, right! One week ago, I was giving a lesson of Muggle Studies in the dungeons. And suddenly, one student felt sick! Of course, I took the poor thing to the Hospital Wing and was going to report the incident to Headmaster Snape. I came to his office, but the Gargoyle didn't let me pass. This time, I suspected that something was wrong. I often entered the Headmaster office and knew the password. But it didn't work. It meant he forgot to tell me the new one!"_

_"You do think that the Headmaster Snape forgets many things lately, right?" her brother states._

_"Three times!" Alecto exclaims. "He had asked me three times about the progress of one and the same student!"_

_"Days ago - I think, already on holidays - he consulted the school Healer," Amycus informs us. "Professor Snape has never before complained about his health. Young wizards of his age aren't sick. But perhaps, he has been cursed. A man devoted to service of the truth has many enemies," Amicus concludes thoughtfully. "We fear the worst. What if Professor Snape has left Hogwarts and on his way back forgot who he was and where he was heading? Such curses exist, you know." The DADA professor shakes his head with grief. His sister and colleague echoes him._

_"To become the headmaster of Hogwarts, one needs to be a strict man. In his new post, Professor Snape proved himself to be a good superior. Discipline has improved." Amycus crooked a finger. "Children stopped being noisy in the dining hall; they stopped running along corridors; stopped frolicing with magic on breaks, as well. Nothing but upsides! We don't want to lose such a professional as he is. We desperately need the help of the whole magical society to find him."_

_"Take a wizard's memory away, and you wouldn't have to be afraid of him anymore. The fact that the headmaster disappeared at this particular time is not an accident." The conspiratorial tone of voice of the expert on the Dark Arts and the methods of protection from them makes our reporter listen very closely. "Six months ago, Potter, the cruel boy, accused Professor Snape of the previous headmaster's murder and even had the nerve to set his gang on him. He made him flee for his life!" There is indignation in Amycus's gaze. "It was at that time that he cursed him with the Memory Losing curse, I am sure! This curse takes an effect after exactly six months since its casting," the specialist concludes._

_"Back to normal, Professor Snape's memory would be getting slowly. But for now, the curse is still reversible. Three days later, though," Carrow looks distressed, "a day before the New Year, it will possess him once and for all and his memory won't be ever restored." His words sound as an ominous warning._

_"The returning of a talented leader, of a respected colleague and just of a good friend is our priority right now!" Amycus places his palm over his heart. Alecto clasps her hands worriedly._

_"Stolen health is nothing new. It happened before, it could be fixed. But how can we fix the society where such sub-wizards exist that wouldn't disdain to hurt their brethren out of revenge for them being strict on their lessons?!" Amycus's voice is rumbling. "How can one live without noticing such flaws around! We have to unite against the evil, against Potter and the likes, against those who steal our magic, not having any right to use it, against non-wizards and sub-wizards invading our life! We have to help each other, so please, help us return our brother to the normal life! Before it is too late, find Professor Snape!"_

The whole interview was utter nonsense, a lie from the beginning to the end, an absurd invention of venal pressmen. None of the Carrows had ever known the password for the headmaster's office and the very story about Potter casting the Memory Losing curse at Severus was just unbelievable rubbish. Amycus Carrow, for that matter, had never been notable for the eloquence he demonstrated in this interview - he was almost illiterate, in Severus' opinion. This article - Severus knew it - was published with the only purpose: to get the civilian population of magical Britain involved in the searching of the runaway servant of the Dark Lord. And for some unknown reason, his master wanted him to return before the New Year. What was it, a hint for Severus, a hidden threat? They said he would lose his memory in three days. It had no sense! Or had it?

Severus looked through the rest of the paper and didn't find anything worthwhile there. As he had supposed, there was not a word about Potter - naturally, Voldemort couldn't brag about his reprisal against Undesirable Number One, not having the evidence to back it up.

Severus went upstairs. The sitting room, to his surprise, was empty. Not _quite_ empty, actually: there was a table set for lunch (the food was simple but nourishing) and the sofa was occupied, too. Potter, lying on it under a plaid, was shamelessly asleep. He hadn't even taken the trouble to make the small couch longer so he wouldn't have had to tuck his legs up, let alone transfigured it into a proper bed, like Severus did in the office. If it turned out that Potter didn't know how to do so, though, Severus wouldn't be surprised at all. Harry Potter, a homebred hero, was an unfathomable individual.

Severus, in his head, developed a plan, though he had no idea when he should implement it. He thought that probably it would be better to wait and collect more information. Everything depended on what Potter and Co. could tell him.

Soon, smiling Granger and frowning Weasley went from the bedroom, shook Potter out of slumber and they all started to eat.

During the lunch, Severus finally learned what happened to the locket. Miss Granger was right. Potter said that when Dolohov with his goons suddenly appeared near the pool, they circled him with the Anti-Apparition charm. Potter realized that he wasn't able to defeat such a number of enemies at the same time, so the first thing he did was putting his hand under his sweater and stealthily ripping the locket off the chain. He pointed the wand tip to the ground, made a small hole in it and dropped the pendant there. To deflect attention away from what he was doing, he assaulted one of Dolohov's men, at the same time covering the locket in the hole with snow by his foot. The wand was knocked out of his hand with a spell and flew somewhere in the bushes. He was immobilized, tied with ropes and conveyed to Malfoy Manor. Severus was aware of what happened next.

To find the hidden locket was a labor-consuming but feasible task. Dobby gladly agreed to help Potter with it. He said that he'd melt all the fallen snow on the clearing, dig all over the ground if it was necessary, but the locket would be certainly found. So they settled on that. Dobby Disapparated. 

The searching could take hours, they prepared to wait. 

Meanwhile, Severus disclosed the Trio his suspicions about what the Dark Lord might think of his flight and showed them the newspaper. Granger rushed to examine it as if she was thirsting for reading. Potter asked his permission to get down to the office and talk to the portrait of Dumbledore. That's how Severus was left alone with Weasley - Granger was so absorbed in reading the news that she was as good as absent.

Weasley seemed obviously uncomfortable, but Severus needed to question someone. He started to ask the Gryffindor about the mission Dumbledore gave them and found out that the block that prevented their discussion of this matter didn't go anywhere. Severus, though, had an opportunity to feel the limits of what they could talk about and what they couldn't. For the most part, this questioning only confirmed what Severus had already guessed.

For example, Wesley was able to talk about the locket of Slytherin itself, but not about the fact that the fragment of Voldemort's soul was hidden in it. The lad easily told him that they had stolen the locket from Dolores Umridge - Severus was greatly surprised by that fact - and that the former Hogwarts High Inquisitor and, for a short period of time, Headmistress, in her turn, had taken it from Mundungus Fletcher rascal, and that the man had filched it from the Blacks' house on Grimmauld Place. But Weasley couldn't tell how the locket had ended up in that house in the first place: he blinked, shut his mouth and shrugged. To Severus's regret, the Gryffindor wasn't aware - or wasn't able to tell - which artefacts they still needed to find and how many, but it became clear that except the locket they hadn't found anything yet.

The strange thing in this conversation was that Severus wasn't able to talk with Weasley about the fragments of Voldemort's soul, too. Each time he tried to ask the lad directly about it, he couldn't find the right words. It didn't altogether alter the situation, but Severus found the effect interesting. The promise to the now deceased wizard proved to have its own magic - a powerful magic, at that. The inability to talk about what Potter promised not to discuss with anyone except Granger and Weasley spread from person to person, and it was beyond Severus' powers - though he was quite a good Legilimens - to overcome this mental block. At least not in these circumstances, when they had no time to investigate this case properly. So, for now, they needed to leave this block as it was.

When he found out what he wanted, Severus left Weasley alone and came to the window. It was getting dark early at this time of year and the sun, already descending behind the lake, flashed its orange beam through the crack in the continuous cover of clouds and lit at parting the castle's towers and snow-covered roofs of Hogsmeade in distance. Everything seemed calm. No one banged on the Headmaster's office door, no one ran around the grounds and screamed. What happened the previous night to Potter and Severus seemed not to have an impact on the life of Hogwarts.

"Sir!" Granger's voice suddenly cut the silence. Severus turned his head toward her and Wesley - judging by the sound - jumped on the sofa. 

"Did you find something interesting, miss Granger?" Severus asked with lukewarm interest.

"Have you seen the message sent for you?" the girl asked excitedly, poking her finger into the paper spread. 

Severus raised an eyebrow. "The message?" he asked with the intentional mistrust in his voice.

"Yes. Here, in the Carrows' interview."

"And what kind of a message is it, hm, miss Granger? Not the one where they say that I will lose all my memories for good in three days?"

"No.This one: I. Give. You. Three. Days. To..." she started, saying word after word.

"Where did you find it? What is it?" Severus rushed to her, not waiting until she finished. Standing over the paper, he felt that Weasley came up too.

"Here," Granger shoved her finger into the paper. "Each paragraph in this article starts..."

"Give me that!" Severus interrupted, took the paper from her and started to read.

The first words of the paragraphs did form the sentence: "I give you three days to take back the stolen." Severus raised his perplexed gaze at the girl. 

She was smiling. "Tom Riddle in his boyhood was probably keen on muggles' novels," she said and shrugged.

"If he wanted his message to hit the aim, he was mistaken," Severus mumbled a little embarrassed. He terrifically didn't want to confess that he never had been keen on muggles' novels himself. Weasley hemmed behind him - he probably had not too.

Though the Lord missed the mark with this message disguised as a newspaper article, Severus understood his intention: he wanted to show him, a half-blood wizard, that the Lord Voldemort himself was very much aware of muggle world and would find his runaway servant there, if necessary, too. The text of the message made it clear why Severus' Mark hadn't burned his forearm yet (Severus already had his own guess about this, but still): he had three days to return Potter and after this... After this a hell was waiting for him. Not only memory he would lose in such a case, he thought. But the cat-and-mouse game the Lord started played into Severus' hands. Now he had at least some time to go through with what he intended to do. And after that he would play it by ear. One thing became as sure for him as Dumbledore's beard - he couldn't delay the realisation of his plan for long.

Potter returned, gave Severus a nod and smiled at his friends.

"Well, what have you got? Can you speak?" Severus asked.

"I'll try," Potter said, hesitantly smiling. "Dumbledore says that I... that I was... Erm, sorry, sir, it seems that I can't..." Potter looked at him apologetically.

Granger's gave the boy the understanding look, then shifted her gaze to Severus. He read in her eyes that she, not even knowing about the power of Potter's promise, already guessed about most of its consequences. Severus squinted. The girl was too smart.

"All right, Potter, we won't discuss it. You'll tell your friends about it later. Now we have more important things to talk about."

Potter nodded. Granger kept her mouth shut. Weasley shifted his gaze between the three of them. Though he had just experienced the same thing as Potter did now, when talking to Severus he couldn't speak a word about the main purpose of their mission, he had not drawn any conclusions from the fact of it. Well, a point went to Miss Granger, then.

Severus decided not to beat about the bush and only avoided mentioning the fragments of Voldemort's soul, so he wouldn't stammer. "We have little time," he said. "The Dark Lord is searching for me and for what I have stolen. In two days he will attack me through my Dark Mark." He casted a glance at Potter and then subconsciously covered his forearm with the other hand. "I don't know if I would be able to do anything adequate by then or not, but it'd bring us more problems for sure. I've been thinking about your mission and I've realized what it is about." Three dumbfounded pairs of eyes looked at him. "But we can't speak with each other about it, as you probably have already noticed," Severus said and glanced at Weasley, who opened his eyes widely. So, he finally got it, Severus thought. "I need to know one thing, though," he proceeded. "I've already asked Mr. Weasley, but now I have to ask you, Harry," he added in a soft voice, once again returning to addressing the boy by name. "Do you know the whereabouts of the objects you are searching for?"

Potter shook his head in reply, Granger did the same. It meant that the only plan they had at the moment was his own, and Severus was going to share it with them.

"Well," he started, "I think that at least one object that we need to find could be kept at the Gringotts Bank, in the Lestranges' vault. I intend going there - alone! - and bring it here for you." 

The Gryffindors, who raised their heads in alarm a moment ago, looked at him worriedly. 

"But, sir! It's dangerous!" Granger exclaimed. "You're now a wanted person!"

"Yes, it is risky, but less for me than for you. For your information, I possess abilities that are beyond your capabilities yet. I am fully able to secure myself. But I need some help in this regard, yes. Harry, I need your invisibility cloak." Severus looked straight at Potter. 

The boy started first, then became thoughtful, wavered for a moment and raised his head, stared at Severus very seriously and nodded. Then he looked at Granger questioningly. She ran in the bedroom, apparently to her omni-accommodating handbag, and returned with the thin, ephemeral item in her hands. 

Severus took the cloak from her. "Now I want to check if a person that wears it can be detected with spells," he said. "Mr. Weasley, can you assist me? Please, go down to the office and put the cloak on. We won't know where you are but will try to find you."

"Okay," Weasley scratched his head and went to carry out his task.

"Harry, you do know the Human-presence-revealing Spell, right?" Severus asked.

Potter nodded, though not very confidently.

"Hermione?" Severus addressed the girl by her name with the same soft tone.

For a moment, she looked perplexed, her cheeks became slightly redder - oh, goodness! - then she nodded too.

"Well then, it will be a triple effect. Good. If this invisibility cloak is really as exceptionally secure as Albus told me..." The green eyes before him became round. "Yes, do not be surprised, he told me that once. So, as I've said..."

"Isn't my invisibility cloak just a plain one?" Potter interrupted him.

"I suppose, it is one of the best ones," Severus answered as calmly as he could. "So, as I've said," he repeated more strongly, "if it is really so secure, then there will be no problem in walking through the Hogwarts territory wearing it, and in the Bank, I wouldn't be detected too, even if they used the charms that make all the illusions disappear. But we need to examine it first. Let's go find Mr. Weasley." Severus motioned the Gryffindors to follow him.

Severus didn't want to risk himself at all, so he was going to test the cloak properly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blood mention, not dangerous injuries.

Potter's Invisibility cloak turned up to be of an extra-high concealing capability. It was impossible to detect the heat that came from the body of a person that wore it, as well as their breath, their heartbeat and brain activity (all the things that were used in the Human-presence-revealing Spell). It was also impossible to _identify_ the hidden person. But of course the cloak capabilities weren't limitless. It couldn't conceal the magic that was present in the person. Which meant that there was no way for someone to feel the hidden under this Invisibility cloak wizard with the aid of charms and get to know who it was, but if it was exactly charms of magic detection that were used near the hidden wizard, then the presence of magic would be registered, though it was hard to pinpoint the specific whereabouts of its source. So, if Severus was a muggle or a totally devoid of magic squib and he wore the cloak, then he wouldn't be detected even by the protective charms set around Malfoy Manor - he would be perceived by them just as an empty space, in that case. And since he was a wizard, Severus, crossing a barrier in the cloak, could be pretty much mistaken for a magical animal or even for a magical artefact. The protective charms that could detect friends or foes would let him pass anyway, because they wouldn't detect any personality at all. Problems could have happened only if a barrier prevented everything magical from passing or, for example, notified home owners of every magical creature crawling into their territory. Severus doubted that wizards would be so punctilious about inaccessibility of their borders - most of them concealed themselves from people, not from anything else - so he was more than satisfied with the results of the test.

One hour later, wearing the Invisibility cloak, he was halfway to the Lestranges' estate, or to be precise, was approaching the border of Hogwarts' protected grounds to Apparate from behind them. Before he left his rooms, he ordered the Trio to sit still and wait for Dobby's return. He didn't tell them the whole truth about the reasons why he needed the Invisibility cloak. In addition to everything else, he needed it to get unnoticed into somebody else's house and kidnap a rather strong wizard from there.

What had worried him the most was the possibility that no one would be at home. Where would he search for the Lestrange brothers then? Any adult member of this family would be enough for him, but Bella was not a good choice, because she always was near their master, and he would have noticed her absence immediately.

Severus Apparated to the empty road, not far from the Lestranges' house. The sky was already dark and the house was barely visible on the top of the hill. No window was lit, but Severus didn't allow that fact to mislead him. Owners could use the Mirror protection on them - one of his own favourite spells that made it impossible to see what happened inside from the outside. As to illumination of territory with lanterns, it was a predominantly muggle tradition that pure-blood wizards, for the most part, did not recognize. 

Severus walked down to the gates that lead inside the estate and felt the protective barrier with his wand. The wand vibrated with a ring: the barrier was in place. As it was supposed to be, a hemispheric barrier surrounded the whole territory of the estate. Since it didn't matter where to penetrate it, Severus, remembering that the Lestranges once kept Thestrals, decided that it would be the right thing to do it from the air and let the protection charms set him down for a beast that came home after hunting. He flew up, and sensing no resistance, gently landed on the other side of the gates.

He followed a cobbled path up the hill and with the same ease opened the entrance door to the house: it appeared that the owners relied fully on the barrier and never locked the door. In his heart, Severus was grateful for such carelessness, though by the standards of the wizarding world, it even wasn't carelessness, because the barrier around the estate was powerful and almost impenetrable. The thing was, Potter's cloak was a truly exceptional creation, the existence of which hadn't been taken into consideration when the barrier had been set into place, since no one knew about its unbelievable properties. As far as Severus was aware, none of the recent wizards could depersonalise him- or herself, even with the aid of spells.

In the hall, Severus was met by silence and darkness. Could it be that no one was at home, as he apprehended? Knowing that the first impression was deceptive, if wizards were involved, and not denying the possibility that this was a trap, Severus moved forward to examine rooms - with caution, but without magic.

The drawing room, as well as other rooms on the first floor turned up to be as dark and empty as the hall was. Severus didn't see the need to check the kitchen and utility rooms and went up to the second floor. He walked down the long corridor to the right of the staircase and saw the light under one of the doors. Someone was at home!

Severus opened the door slightly and immediately closed it back with a loud sound. It was supposed to attract attention of whoever was inside: was it just one person or several, they should be lured out of the room in the corridor, because it would be a dangerous venture to burst into a room with the unknown number of wizards in it even if he was hiding under the Invisibility cloak.

"Rudy, is it you?" the voice inside the room asked. "You're back early." A man with a thin face showed from behind the door. It was Rabastan. Severus was so lucky! "Hey, where are you?" Lestrange started turning his head, surveying the dark empty corridor.

"Imperio!" invisible Severus whispered, putting as much power in the spell as he could. Potter's cloak had another priceless property: on the one hand, it could not conceal magic, but on the other, it couldn't become an obstacle for use of magic. Thus, of course, it couldn't serve as a shield, but it wasn't its purpose, in the first place.

The youngest Lestrange smiled happily, staring at nothing. Severus looked the man up and down and, deciding that his clothes were good enough to visit public areas, directed him to put on his road cloak, take the wand and go to the Gringotts Bank.

***

A Sunday visit to the bank, in the evening to boot, was a practice that hadn't been unheard-of. All wizards who so desired to get their gold from their vaults of course would be served, they would be driven down, a dragon would be Clankered away, doors of their vaults would be opened for them, though, on the way back, they would be charged extra money for this service. It didn't bother Severus because he planned to Obliviate anyone who he'd met on the way, so the goblins would not gain anything new, the Lestranges would not lose anything of their own - there would be nothing to trace down what happened.

A sullen character was hanging about the marble stairs that lead to the Bank entrance, probably not a Death Eater, but some hireling on duty for sure. He was taking sips from a bottle that he pulled out of folds of his shabby cloak: he probably didn't quite like sticking to the empty street when his cronies had a carouse somewhere on Knockturn Alley. Lestrange, whose identity was proved by a Probity Probe that the man pocked at him, got up the stairs and approached the enormous bronze doors. Severus made him linger there for a while and hurriedly Obliviated the guard. Then he whisked into the entrance hall while the doors were still ajar.

In the vast main hall, only a single goblin sat behind the counter at this hour. The wand examination of the visitor went smoothly, and Severus followed Rabastan into one of the back rooms, where the man was greeted by another goblin. Together, all three of them sat into a small cart. Severus glued the cloak to himself with a silent spell so it wouldn't be blown away from him when they scorched along the labyrinth of underground passages.

They reached their destination mostly safely, if Severus didn't take into account the weakness and dizziness that had descended on him every time he visited the Gringotts because of a crazy speed, endless turns and pictures of surroundings whizzing by his vision. The goblin guide drove off the dragon with the Clanckers and opened the door of the vault. Rabastan came inside it and Severus sank in in his wake. The door closed; the goblin was left outside.

Now, as he was alone with the wizard who was under his control, Severus took off the invisibility cloak. There were heaps of treasures piled up in the cave. The replica of the sword of Gryffindor was chained down to one of the shelves above them. Severus personally had delivered it to the bank upon the order of the Lord. He had insisted on being present at the sword placement into the safe vault, referring to the fact that it belonged to Hogwarts, though actually he just wanted to make sure that goblins wouldn't have blurted out that the sword was fake to Bellatrix. In exactly the same way as it was the previous time he visited this vault, precious things were everywhere and of all kinds: from jewels to golden coins, from dainty cutlery to shining armors. Even for the owner, it would be hard to find something in this mishmash, while Severus couldn't touch anything at all because of the charms applied to the room. Only owners and their trustees could take things that were kept here in their hands, not burning themselves and not causing an avalanche-like appearance of burning duplicates of those things.

"Which of these objects don't belong to your family? Answer the question!" Severus said.

Lestrange pointed with his arm towards the sword.

"What else?" Severus asked.

Rabastan started to look around, inspecting shelf after shelf with his eyes. It could have lasted without end. He either didn't know where that object was placed or presumably had no idea what it was. But Severus wasn't upset by this.

Before the lunch, Severus had a realization how to find what he was looking for among the Lestrange treasures. He remembered one ritual that in the old days was used to catch a thief red-handed. Severus had found it in an ancient book in the Hogwarts library, when he was still a student. The book stood in Restricted section, but Severus had access to it due to the patronage of Professor Slughorn, who believed that such a gifted in potions student should have been trusted to make an unassisted research of different potion issues with the aid of books "not provided by the curriculum."

Of course, this ritual was not quite a light one and required the use of the blood of the "thief" and, without doubts, modern society was squinting at such rites, but in other times, when it was only invented and put into practice, wizards had thought about many things differently.

With a heavy heart - he hated the idea of extracting blood from anybody - Severus pulled out of his pocket a small laboratory knife. Then he ordered Lestrange to take off his cloak, unfasten the vest and the shirt under it: Severus needed to have access to the treasure owner's skin. He took one hand of the ill-fated Death Eater and made him open his palm, then in a swift movement, he cut it with the knife; the man only blinked. The same thing Severus repeated with his other hand, and finally made a cross-shaped cut on his chest, in the heart area.

Those spots, where blood should be extracted, were sacral. They were key for the success of this ritual. But the thing was, they weren't effective in regard to blood collection: cuts were skin-deep and the blood came slowly out of the capillary.

Severus moved his wand and made the blood that came out of all three cuts flow through the air in thin trickles and assemble in a ball that was hovering before him. He applied propelled charms to those trickles, so the blood ran faster, but still, this procedure took quite a long time.

When the gradually growing ball reached the size of one and a half diameter of a galleon, Severus stopped the bleeding and, moving his wand around the ball, started to utter the incantation. On the last word of the short but intricate phrase, the blood in the ball began to coagulate, sizzle and smoke, spreading a stink, the water started to evaporate out of it.

Severus initiated the second part of the ritual. Uttering one and the same invocation repeatedly and drawing with the wand point more and more curved lines in the air around the darkening and distorting clot of blood, he forced the water vapour that came out of it turn into dribbles that flew through the air and came together in another ball that increased in size above the stenching blood ball that in contrast became smaller and smaller with time. Finally the blackened clot vanished, and the water ball almost reached the size of the original one.

It was time to set about the third part of the ritual: remove out of the water all corpuscles of dust and smoke that water dribbles gathered from the air along with all other stuff that could have mingled with it. Pulling the water ball from one place to another and placing in between a filter created by charms, Severus pretty quickly gained a drop of a crystal clear water. Now, everything was ready for the search of the needed item.

Screening himself off by Imperturbable Charms, Severus pointed his wand at the drop and, pulling the fluid out of it, started to curl it with tiny movements of his wrist in a spiral cord. Then, swinging his arm, he sent it into flight and whispered, "Inveniet!" The long, thin, almost invisible water string started to slowly wheel in the air, flying round the room in search of its aim. After some time, it flew to the fake Gryffindor sword. Twining around it like a transparent thread, the water gradually fully assembled on its surface and after a moment evaporated with a hiss. But the steam didn't disperse in the air, on the contrary, the little cloud thickened, elongated and, spinning along its drawn axis, turned into a thin water thread again.

Barely visible string, gleaming in the dull light of the vault, flew through the air again, attracted by another item in the room that didn't belong to the family of the wizard out of whose body this clear moisture was extracted. Devoid of any trace of this man individual and family traits, it was drawn to the closest in this respect object among those that were indicated. In this case, the searching area was the whole room, excluding only Severus hidden behind the magic shield.

The water thread flew up and became very hard to trace. Severus strained his eyes and lit his wand, but couldn't find it. Then he started to shine a directed beam around the place it went to to spot it by the brighter specks of reflected light on its thin surface and finally, he noticed it. The water was gathering on a small object that was placed to the right of the sword and so much higher, that no human could reach it from the floor, no matter how high the person was (unless the person was a half-giant, like Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts). The object turned up to be a small goldish goblet that had a stem and two handles. As soon as Severus noticed it, the water evaporated, sizzling, from its surface. He made sure to remember the place and started to look what happened next.

But nothing happened. The steam cleared, and however hard Severus tried to shine his wand around the room, there was no light speck reflected from the surface of a thin water string flying in the air. So, there was nothing more to find. What Severus did find, though, was already enough. All that was left for him to do was to get the goblet from its high shelf and then cover his tracks.

Severus got rid of the stink in the air, turned to frozen in a trance Rabastan and healed his wounds properly, gave him the Blood-Replenishing Potion from his kit, cleared the blood from his skin and clothes, told him to button up again and put on the cloak. Then he conjured a ladder and, focusing his mind on the gobket, ordered the man to get it. Lestrange obeyed his will and put the goblet into his cloak pocket.

Severus checked with time. They were in the vault no more than an hour. Good Lord! He thought that a whole eternity passed since they entered, such tiresome waiting he endured in the first phase of this ritual. Severus had never performed it before and remembered only vaguely, so before leaving the castle he used the Pensieve to have a fresh look at the pages of the ancient book and to remember all words, acts and the order or things anew. Now he felt slightly stunned: despite the tiring waiting, the beauty of the performed ritual made his heart sing, the success elated him.

The trio - a wizard, a goblin and a thief in the Invisibility cloak - returned from the underground back to the upper level. Severus Obliviated the goblin guide. The same thing he did with the goblin behind the counter. When Rabastan and he were leaving the bank, a scumper of the night guard was loudly snoring on the stairs. Severus, who learned not to trust his own eyes, Obliviated him too, the second time this evening. If the man was really asleep, then when awakened, he most probably would hardly remember this day's events, but scarcely anybody would pay attention to this fact, since the fellow was not against going upon a bend.

After Severus took the kidnapped Lestrange home and with no complications led him to his room, he made him forget everything, including the door that clapped at the beginning of their adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I wasn't very proud of this chapter and couldn't bring myself to translate it... Also I think that I made this chapter hard to read. Sorry again.


End file.
